Maharashtra to announce relief package soon

Unsure of effectiveness of Centre’s ₹20 lakh crore package, says Ajit Pawar

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday expressed doubts as to whether the Centre’s ₹20 lakh crore COVID-19 relief package offers anything concrete for the poor, and said the Maharashtra government will soon announce a financial package to pull the State out of the economic doldrums.

“All economic activity has come to an abrupt standstill because of the lockdown. This has adversely affected businesses, besides resulting in job losses across sectors. It is imperative to find a way out. The State government will soon announce a financial package following discussions in the Cabinet,” Mr. Pawar said.

Mr. Pawar was in Pimpri-Chinchwad to take stock of the COVID-19 situation. He also inaugurated a flyover.

The Deputy Chief Minister said he has reservations about the effectiveness of the relief package announced by the Centre.

“The Central government has recently announced this economic package which is replete with big numbers. But there are differences of opinion on how much money will actually trickle down to the poor. The need of the hour is to ensure daily wagers get swift and tangible help,” Mr. Pawar said.

The Nationalist Congress Party leader said the State is seeking every help possible from the Centre in this regard. “We have been in regular correspondence with the Centre and have been raising the issue repeatedly in the Prime Minister’s videoconferences with States,” he said.

Given the exodus of migrant labourers from Maharashtra to their hometowns in Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan, Mr. Pawar urged youths living in the State’s backward areas to come forward and fill the labour vacuum in the industrial sector.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had recently expressed dissatisfaction with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s handling of the pandemic. It had demanded that the State government announce a relief package for daily wage earners hit by the lockdown.

Responding to the BJP’s claims, Mr. Pawar said there was no need to indulge in politicking at this critical hour. “There is no need to think about who thinks what. We must all work together to extricate the State out of this crisis,” he said.