Uddhav Thackeray 'scared' of taking initiatives, Maha needs to start eco activity: Devendra Fadnavis

Indecisiveness and strategic errors of the Maharashtra government have aggravated the COVID-19 crisis in the state, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday and accused Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of over dependence on bureaucracy as he is "scared" of taking initiatives.

Interacting with reporters through video conference, the former chief minister also asked the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP government to prepare protocols to revive economic activities outside red zones and apprehended that Maharashtra otherwise may miss out on a "life time opportunity" to attract industries shifting out of China.

"We can't sit back. We have to find a way to start economic activities outside red zones which the government has not been able to do so. Indecisiveness is its biggest problem... We have to live with COVID," he said, noting that the state has always been the preferred destination for foreign investment in India.

Fadnavis painted a grim picture of the coronavirus situation in Mumbai and its suburbs, the worst affected region in the country, alleging that the state government's priority now is to suppress infection figures by not testing adequately.

There are no beds available for COVID-19 patients in government hospitals in the city, while half of the beds in intensive care units (ICUs) of private hospitals are lying vacant due to the government's flip flops on the matter, he said.

Private hospitals are charging Rs 30,000 from coronavirus affected patient per day for a bed, and giving these beds to those who have the capacity to pay, he said