Key points:-
• The chief minister was speaking at the Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Although the BharatNet project has been initiated to provide Internet connectivity to remote areas, still in 2,500 villages in Maharashtra, there is no mobile or Internet facility, Thackeray said.
The chief minister was speaking at the Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a video conference.
To cope with the pandemic’s challenges, the Centre should launch a national policy on working hours beyond the conventional 10 am to 5 pm span, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday.
“The battle against Covid-19 has not stopped. Even the Prime Minister is holding meeting through video conferencing. Therefore, the mindset over the traditional office hours of 10 am – 5 pm should be changed. The Centre should initiate a national policy,” Thackeray said.
“We turned the challenges, posed by Covid-19, into opportunities. We are emphasising on adopting new technology and mode of communication. Internet facility should reach every village,” he added.
Although the BharatNet project has been initiated to provide Internet connectivity to remote areas, still in 2,500 villages in Maharashtra, there is no mobile or Internet facility, Thackeray said. The chief minister assured that the state would offer all necessary support to improve communication and connectivity across distant villages and hamlets.
He said the state was poised to reach the one-trillion dollar economy target in the coming years. “Foreign direct investment in Maharashtra was at its peak in 2020 despite lockdown,” he added.
Seeking the Centre’s financial assistance to cope with agriculture crisis and help farmers hit by natural calamities, Thackeray said, “The Centre should take steps to raise the relief benefits to small and marginal farmers.”
