Maharashtra COVID restrictions: NCP to resume ‘Janta Darbar’ from April 4 as Maharashtra lifts all COVID restrictions from April

The NCP had suspended the ‘Janta Darbar’ following rise in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra in February 2021.

“As Corona infection has been largely contained in the state. Therefore, the Chief Minister has decided to relax the rules in the state from April 1,” informed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to reporters on Thursday.

“Due to the relaxation of these rules, the party has now decided to resume the Janta Darbar at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mumbai,” added Pawar. The ‘Janta Darbar’ is a programme started by the NCP after the party came to power in Maharashtra.

The concept of ‘Janta Darbar’ was put forward by Pawar. In the bid to enhance the interaction with the people, the programme mandated the ministers to spend one day at the NCP headquarters.

Earlier on Thursday, the Maharashtra Government announced that all COVID-19 related restrictions including the wearing of masks in public places will be withdrawn from Saturday.

“We will withdraw all the COVID-19 related restrictions from the state from Gudi Padwa. The decision has been taken today in the cabinet meeting. An order will be issued for the same. We will withdraw the order which made it mandatory to wear a mask,” had said Health Minister Rajesh Tope after the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Chief Minister Thackeray had said that the Gudi Padwa festival marks the new year.”All COVID restrictions in Maharashtra will be lifted, as we bring in the new year this Gudi Padwa!” had tweeted the Chief Minister.

The Disaster Management Act as well as the Infectious Diseases Prevention Act which were invoked with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic will be withdrawn.

“Restrictions like 50 per cent capacity in buses, restaurants and cinema theatres, double vaccination compulsion in travel and buses will be withdrawn,” Tope had said. However, the Health Minister advised the citizens to adhere to COVID appropriate behaviour. The Health Minister cited the decline in daily COVID-19 cases and positivity rate as the reason behind withdrawing the restrictions.

Earlier on Thursday, Maharashtra reported 183 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the number of active cases to 902. One fatality was reported in the last 24 hours, as per the bulletin released on Thursday.