Covid-19 crisis: PM Modi praises Maharashtra’s handling of pandemic

In a significant development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and lauded the way the state has handled the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While thanking the Centre for guiding the state from time to time, Thackeray urged Modi to increase the quota of medical oxygen in the state.

The two leaders also discussed the overall Covid-19 pandemic situation and the vaccination programme.

Thackeray took the opportunity to brief the Prime Minister on the state’s plan to tackle the possible third wave, expected to hit soon.

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The praise from Modi comes at a time when the BJP state leadership has repeatedly been targeting the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government over their handling of the pandemic.

The Maharashtra government has already decided to form a Covid Task Force on pediatrics as the third wave is expected to hit children the most – an age group that has not yet been covered by vaccines.

Thackeray also urged Modi to allow the states to develop their own app to handle the vaccinations – which, in turn, can be connected to the Co-Win app of the central government. “This will ensure better interface and experience for citizens who are really keen to take the vaccine shot,” the CM said in a letter, pointing out that the overwhelming rush may often lead to the app malfunctioning or crashing.

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On the shortage of vaccines – Covishield produced by Pune-based Serum Institute of India and Covaxin made by Bharat Biotech – Thackeray said the states should be allowed to procure from other manufacturers. “If the states are allowed to procure from other manufacturers as well, we would be able to cover a larger population in a shorter time to help reduce the impact of the possible third wave,” he said.

The Modi-Thackeray talks come on a day when Shiv Sena targeted the Centre for going ahead with the Central Vista project.

“Nobody feels the regret over Covid-19 relief from countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan being accepted, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not ready to stop work on the Central Vista project to construct a new Parliament building and house of the Prime Minister, spending thousands of crores of rupees,” an editorial in Saamna said.

The editorial states that BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has demanded that Nitin Gadkari be made the health minister. “This is proof that the Union health ministry has been a complete failure,” it said.