Maharashtra govt writes to Centre; seeks Rs 25,000 cr package to contain Coronavirus

The Maharashtra government has demanded a special package from the central government to contain the massive spread of the deadly Coronavirus in the state. Taking to Twitter, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stated that he has written a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Prakash Javadekar seeking a special Rs 25,000 crore package to tackle the crisis. 

In a series of tweets, he further mentioned the hardships faced by the state economically due to the Coronavirus outbreak and the lockdown that has followed. He said, "In the meantime, the state government has not yet received an outstanding balance of Rs 1687 crore. Similarly, it has also not received the aid of Rs 14,967 crore and a total of 16,654 crores. I urge them to give the remaining balance by March 31."

He further added, "The Industry, trade, and service sectors have come to a halt after the central government announced a three-weeks national lockdown due to the Coronavirus. The state income had risen sharply in the last month of the financial year, however, due to the Coronavirus and the lockdown, the income has almost stopped this year."

Coronavirus crisis in Maharashtra

The Coronavirus cases in the state of Maharashtra are rapidly increasing with over 230 positive cases reported so far. Even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the 21-day nationwide lockdown, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had announced a curfew and a lockdown in the state to curb the increasing cases. 

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COVID-19 cases in India

As of date, India has reported 1,251 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Out of all the states, Kerala and Maharashtra have reported the most in the country. Meanwhile, and 32 people have died so far due to the deadly virus. PM Modi has also launched the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund), where citizens can contribute to aide the government's efforts in supporting those affected by this emergency. Further, India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar.

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