Coronavirus: Maha cabinet meet held through video conferencing

Mumbai, Apr 7 () The Maharashtra cabinet conducteda meeting for the first time through video conferencing onTuesday in view of the coronavirus outbreak, with ministersand bureaucrats taking part wearing masks.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Tourism ministerAaditya Thackeray, Food and Civil Supplies minister ChhaganBhujbal, Revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat and Water Resourcesminister Jayant Patil participated in the meeting from Varsha,the CM's official residence in the metropolis' Malabar Hillarea.

Bahujan Welfare minister Vijay Wadettiwar joined fromChandrapur, minister of state for home (rural) ShambhurajeDesai from Satara, minister of state for cooperation ministerBalasaheb Patil along with his deputy Vishwajit Kadam tookpart from Pune, PWD minister Ashok Chavan from Nanded, Energyminister Nitin Raut from Nagpur, and WCD minister YashomatiThakur joined from Amravati.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samantparticipated from Ratnagiri collector's office, while DeputyChief Minister Ajit Pawar and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh werepresent in Mantralaya.

In the meeting, it was decided to provide Shiv bhojanmeals at Rs 5 for the next three months, and extending it tothe taluka level, as well as providing foodgrains to orangeration cardholders till June at concessional rates.

It was also decided to amend the Maharashtra CharityManagement Act to avail financial assistance from charitabletrusts to fight the coronavirus outbreak. MRBNM BNM