No Night Curfew or Lockdown to Be Imposed in Maharashtra, Mask Mandatory for Next 6 Months, Says Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, December 20: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday spoke against imposing night curfew or lockdown in the state as the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation is under control, though not completely. Addressing people of Maharashtra through a live webcast, Uddhav Thackeray underlined that wearing masks will be mandatory for the next six months in the state. Shakti Bill: Uddhav Thackeray-Led Maharashtra Govt Tables Shakti Bill, Here Are Details About the 'Draconian' Bill.

"Many people suggested to imposed night curfew or lockdown in the state. But I don't think night curfew or another lockdown should be imposed," Thackeray said. "Prevention is better than cure. Wearing of mask at public places should be made a habit for another six months at least," the Chief Minister added. Maharashtra recorded 3,940 new coronavirus cases yesterday, pushing the total caseload in the state to 18,92,707.

Uddhav Thackeray Addresses People of Maharashtra:

The state has also recorded 74 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 48,648. Presently, there are 62,218 active cases in the state. As many as 17,81,841 people have recovered from the deadly infection so far. The recovery rate in the state is now at 94.14 percent, while the case fatality rate is at 2.57 percent.

Thackeray also said he was open for the resolution of the Kanjurmarg Metro car shed land issue through dialogue. "We have all documents to prove that the land belongs to the state government. If there is a controversy over the ownership of land, the issue can be resolved through dialogue," he said. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Asks MMRDA to Explore Alternative Sites for Metro Car Shed.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday stayed the order passed by Mumbai suburban district collector allotting 102 acres of salt pan land in Kanjurmarg area for the construction of an integrated metro car shed. The Centre and the Maharashtra government are locked in a tussle over ownership of the land earmarked by the state for constructing the car shed depot which was earlier planned at Aarey Colony, a green belt in suburban Goregaon.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 20, 2020 03:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).