While the Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has indicated that the decision on the extension of lockdown in the state will be taken in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, a survey carried out by LocalCircles in Maharashtra favoured curfew beyond 14 May 2021 according to a PTI report.  

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Most respondents in the online social media platform on Monday urged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to extend the restrictions till 31 May 2021, this report said.

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As per this report, 84 per cent of Maharashtra residents who participated in this survey conducted by LocalCirles supported continuation of lockdown restrictions till 31 May. However, around 43 per cent of the respondents also suggested allowing home deliveries of all goods to minimise business disruption and for consumer inconvenience.

In a letter to the chief minister, LocalCricles founder and Chairman Sachin Taparia said, "With the current restrictions in Maharashtra in place till May 14, residents and small businesses from the state have been discussing the way forward on LocalCircles."

He added that based on hundreds of comments that were received, LocalCircles conducted a public survey on the way forward regarding extension of restrictions. "Over 18,000 responses were received in this exercise with people from 30 districts of the state."

Taparia said in the letter that the platform has been quite active in tracking COVID-19 situation on the ground and sensitising the central and state governments on issues faced by people.

"With timely decisions taken by you (Thackeray) in regard to imposing restrictions, Maharashtra has been able to flatten the COVID-19 curve with Mumbai now becoming a case study for many metros on how to implement COVID-19 lockdowns successfully," he said in the letter.

Citing the findings of the survey, the letter said, "84 per cent of Maharashtra residents want lockdown restrictions to continue till May 31, while 43 per cent residents want home deliveries of all goods be permitted to minimize consumer inconvenience."

Also, as many as 71 per cent residents feel home delivery of goods should be the primary model to service them during lockdown/restrictions, among others, Taparia said in the letter.

"Majority of the small businesses, as per the survey, are in favour of the government permitting them to operate in 'home delivery mode only' to minimise business disruption," the letter stated.

According to LocalCircles, there is a need for enabling businesses to operate in a contactless or home delivery mode only till the COVID-19 situation improves considerably. Such a model will enable businesses to restart some activity and end the disruption to some extent while minimising consumer inconvenience, it added.

It is suggested that the Maharashtra government enables a mechanism where stores are permitted to operate in home delivery mode with no customer walk-ins permitted and orders only placed online, he said in the letter.

While lockdown is the first response to contain the spread of the virus and rightfully so, the above model will ensure business disruption, and consumer inconvenience is minimised, Taparia stated in the letter.
"I request you (Thackeray) to consider this public feedback and extend the lockdown/ restrictions in the state till May 31," he added.