People losing patience with lockdowns but can’t give up fight against virus at this stage: Ajit Pawar

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said in Pune on Friday that although he understands that local residents were losing patience with lockdowns, giving up the fight against Covid-19 was not an option at this stage. He said the state government needed the co-operation of local residents to break the chain of transmission.

Pawar attended the weekly Covid-19 review meeting at Pune’s Council Hall on Saturday along with Union minister Prakash Javadekar. He thanked Pune residents for following the rules of weekend lockdown.

केंद्रीय मंत्री @PrakashJavdekar जी यांच्या प्रमुख उपस्थितीत ‘कोरोना परिस्थिती आणि उपाययोजनांबाबत’ आढावा बैठक पुणे येथे घेण्यात आली. यावेळी आरोग्य सुविधा वाढवण्यासोबतच हॉटस्पॉटमधील बंधने पाळली जातील, याकडे लक्ष देण्याची गरज असल्याचं स्पष्ट केलं. pic.twitter.com/2cjOYb8TNI

— Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) April 10, 2021

Pawar, who is also the guardian minister of Pune, said he was aware of the vocal opposition of traders’ bodies to the current restrictions imposed by the state government and has directed Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Rao, Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar and Pune City Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta to hold a meeting with representatives of the traders’ federation.

“These officers will hold a meeting with the federation leaders. They will take them into confidence and inform them about the situation that the city is facing and the need for their co-operation. My experience is that once you convey the seriousness of the issue, the unions respond positively,” said Pawar.

When asked if the state government had failed in preparing for the second wave of Covid-19 despite predictions, the minister said the administrative and political leadership at the Centre and the state had worked towards containing the spread of the virus in the first wave and before the second wave struck, the health infrastructure had been considerably scaled up in the city.

“In the first wave, people were extremely fearful.  Now, the infectivity is very high… entire families are getting infected and hence it’s very difficult to contain the virus. We are stepping up vaccination as it’s the best policy. Our capacity in the district is to carry out one lakh vaccinations per day. Prakash Javdekar has promised us that our vaccine needs will be fulfilled,” said Pawar.

Although he refused to talk about the ongoing controversy over supply of vaccines to Maharashtra, he said the state government had created an elaborate system for distribution of vaccines.