Consider COVID-19 A Natural Calamity, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Urges Centre

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has written a letter to the Centre, urging it to consider the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural calamity, so that the government can use the state disaster response fund (SDRF) to provide financial assistance to the affected people.

All State Disaster Management Acts have been formed as part of the central disaster management law; hence the state needs the Union government’s permission to use the SDRF for helping the pandemic-hit people, a government official said on Thursday, The New Indian Express (TNIE) reported quoting PTI.

The chief minister wrote the letter to the Centre on Wednesday to seek its permission, he was quoted as saying.

The chief minister wants to use the SDRF for coronavirus outbreak has it has affected the earnings of thousands of people in the state.

We need a legal provision to do so, hence the state government has written to the Centre,” the official was quoted as saying.