Dual Crisis in Maharashtra – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

• Maharashtra Alone Constitute Of More Than 20% Of Total Corona Virus Case In India
• Maharashtra now accounts for 23.9 per cent of the total Covid-19 cases in India and 44.3 per cent of the total Covid-19 deaths. In fact, the mortality rate in Maharashtra (6.5-7 per cent) is higher than the global average (3.4 per cent).
• Maharashtra Covid- 19 mortality rate one of the highest in the world

Medical Preparedness

• Most hospitals chosen to treat Covid-19 patients were ill-prepared for it. The Covid-19 sections in the hospitals required segregation, which did not happen.
• This explains why one of the largest numbers of hospitals shut due to Covid-19 as well as a large number of infected medical professionals is in Mumbai.

The Myth Of More Testing

• Maharashtra government’s claims of more testing than any other state But the tests per million people on Maharashtra is below Rajasthan and Kerala (Among bigger state) and even below than Delhi (among smaller states) ,

Lockdown Effectiveness

•  Bandra Gathering: The massive migrant workers’ crowd outside Bandra station on 14 April to go back to their home

Lockdown Effectiveness

•  Significant number of Tablighis from Maharashtra who attended the Nizamuddin markaz congregation have not been traced.
•  Last week, Anil Deshmukh had claimed that 58 markaz attendees were incommunicado.

Increasing Number Of Cases In Dharavi

• Biggest slum of Asia where it is difficult to maintain social distancing because people use community toilets

Political Turmoil

• The Covid-19 lockdown has put the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government in a tough spot.
• Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray is not a member of the legislature.
• Thackeray was sworn in as chief minister on 28 November 2019 at the head of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance that comprises the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress
• So on 27th may, 6 months will be over.

Two Options with the Chief Minister

• First way is to be elected as MLC and other way is by nomination to the LC.
• Because of COVID-19 outbreak and need for social distancing, the Election Commission of India has deferred elections to nine seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
• So Nomination to the MLC.

Nomination By Governor

• The six-year term of these 12 nominees will end on 6 June
• Two of these seats have been vacant since NCP leaders Ramrao Wadkute and Rahul Narvekar defected to the BJP.
• If Thackeray is nominated to one of these seats, his term will end on 6 June and he will have to seek a fresh nomination from Governor Koshyari.

Discretion of the Governor

• According to Article 163(2) of the Constitution, it is not binding on the governor to accept the cabinet’s nomination.
• In December 2019, the minister said, the NCP had asked the governor to nominate party members Shivajirao Garje and Aditi Nalavade to the two vacant council seats. The governor had refused, pointing out that their term would end in six months
• It will be interesting to see whether Governor will accept the nomination when their term merely ends in 2 month

Should the Centre take control?

• “Uddhav Thackeray government has failed to handle the coronavirus situation in Maharashtra, so, it is important that the central government brings in the Army to handle the slums of Dharavi and Govandi in Mumbai. If proper protocols are followed, these areas might require up to 10 lakh tests — the state government looks unprepared to handle it, or its aftermath”.

Comment Section

• How the Maharashtra government will find a way out from both the health crisis and political crisis?

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