MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said the privatevehicles carrying employees of firms and organisattions providing essential services such as IT and banking should have a sticker of the company.
Also, the employees in the vehicle should carry the company's identity card, he said in a televised address. "I request the police to allow smooth passage of these vehicles after they display the identity," Thackeray said.
He also thanked the central government for accepting his suggestion to stop domestic flights. Thackeray also appreciated that the central government has deferred the deadline for filing income tax and GST returns from the earlier March 31.
"The Centre has also accepted our demand for increasing the number of (coronavirus) testing facilities," the chief minister said while thanking the state's people for cooperating with the government's efforts to tackle the epidemic.
He said that he had been getting a complaint from the police about traffic on roads in the morning, and from people that vehicles of staff of companies or establishments providing essential services are not being allowed to ply.
"Need of the hour is cooperation from both sides," he said, directing that such vehicles should have a sticker and employees should carry I-cards. "You have understood the seriousness of the situation. We have to stop the spread of the virus in the areas where it has not reached and also stop itwhere it has started," Thackeray said.
He said that employees of firms providing essential services including Information Technology and banking should call 100 to ensure safe travel.
The chief minister thanked the police for seizure of hoarded masks, and said that people should not exploit the situation for their selfish gains. "We have not stopped living, but only changed the way we live. Stay home, stay safe. There is enough stock of food grains. I have given instructions to ensure proper distribution of food grains," he said.
"It was not the time to roam around. Blood supply is necessary (at hospitals), and NGOs have started blood donation camps. People are coming forward to help ," he said. As of Tuesday, Maharashtra had 107 confirmed cases of coronavirus.