Lockdown will hit Maharashtra hard in economic term: Minister

Mumbai, Mar 30 () Maharashtra is going to be theworst-hit among states in economic term due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown given its status as an industrial power anda manufacturing hub in the country, water resources ministerJayant Patil said on Monday.

Most of the manufacturing units have completelystopped their activities due to the lockdown, he said.

Speaking a Marathi news channel, Patil said,Maharashtra, being the most industrialised state, is going tobe the worst hit in this crisis. There are thousands ofmanufacturing units across the state, including large, mediumand small ones. They employ millions of skilled and non-skilled workers."

The 21-day lockdown, implemented to facilitate socialdistancing and stem the spread of the coronavirus, is going tocreate an economic crisis in the state, said Patil, a formerfinance minister.

"Coronavirus is an international crisis; thus we arepart of it as well. Maharashtra is a highly industrialisedstate hence the closure of several industrial units is goingto create a huge economic crisis for the state as well, Patilsaid.

Asked how the state would come out of the crisis,Patil said, It will take months for industrial units toresume production and achieve maximum capacity as small,medium and large industrial units are inter-dependent."

We need to rethink about the current socio-economicframework as well in which we are living and how we shouldproceed further, said the minister.

According to the Economic Survey 2019-20, Maharashtrahas 14.90 lakh registered micro, small and medium scaleindustries generating employment for 78.92 lakh people. NDRSY RSY