Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. (File Photo)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has again reached out to the “sons of the soil” Wednesday, saying local residents needed to be employed at the Metro and other infrastructure projects to avoid stoppage of work due to shortage of labourers.

In May, Thackeray had first appealed to “bhoomiputras” from the state to take up work in industries that were restarting after the lockdown to make Maharashtra ‘Atmanirbhar’.

On Wednesday, he urged the local youths to take benefit of the contingencies that had been created due to the pandemic.

“The migrant labourers have gone to their native places. Without waiting for them to return, a division-wise list should be prepared on the required skilled and semi-skilled labourers. The information about the availability of jobs should also be gathered. Then, it should be advertised across the state, especially in places where Metro projects are going on, for the availability of the manpower so that the sons of soil get employment,” Thackeray said.

The Chief Minister also said that he was in consultation with the Centre for the resumption of suburban train services for workers from essential services, but put out a word of caution saying that lockdown restrictions will be imposed again in case of crowding and flouting of social distancing and other norms.

Chairing a review meeting for Metro projects in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur and the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link project, Thackeray also emphasised that arrangements should also be made to provide training to the local youths in coordination with the Skill Development Department.

“The government is assessing the situation after granting relaxation. There was some crowding on the first day of the relaxations which created anxiety. If it is felt that these relaxations could be fatal, then we will have no option but to impose lockdown restrictions again,” he said.

While industries have resumed operations across the state, except in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune, many have complained of shortage of labourers. An estimated 24 lakh inter-state migrants have left Maharashtra since the nation-wide lockdown began on March 25.