Maharashtra: State govt may extend the lockdown by two weeks in Mumbai and Pune

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that the decision on whether or not the lockdown should be extended in the state will be taken only after April 14 when the lockdown is supposed to end.

However the state cabinet on Tuesday discussed whether the lockdown should be extended by two weeks in Mumbai and Pune. As these cities have reported highest number of cases in the state. 

If the lockdown is extended, the cabinet has cleared two proposals. One for subsidized foodgrains to be provided to even saffron ration card holders (family income of Rs 15,000 to Rs 1 lakh a year). Two, the Shiv Thali Scheme will be implemented at the taluka level at Rs 5 per plate for three months; it was available for Rs 10 earlier.

The state cabinet in their meeting discussed that the lockdown phase wise relaxation would be done on the basis of the number of Covid-19 patients. Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune Metropolitan Region may witness two weeks’ extension, as of now.