CM advisor Ajoy Mehta talks about Mumbai post lockdown

As the country lifts restraining orders post lockdown and prepares to put up a further fight against the Coronavirus, office-goers are expected to adapt themselves to a new work schedule. Maharashtra has partially lifted the lockdown, with 50 per cent of shops open on alternative days and only 10 per cent of the staff physically working in the offices.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's Principal Advisor and Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta have said, that Mumbai is preparing for a better mode of work while the state reopens. He thinks that the staggering of work hours might be the only way to manage the flow of work and safety at the same time. According to Mehta, the Maharashtra government will go beyond the Indian Council Medical Research's (ICMR) testing protocol and expand testing in the coming days.

The advisor chalked out a clear way ahead for Mumbai post lockdown, which will build the economy once again. He said, that the minds of the country's business capital need to rethink strategies and administration with vigor and hard work, in order to rebuild its ventures. He talked about work hours oriented with multiple shifts. He further explained, "Every hour of the day and every day of the week will be occupied by work. Five or six-day work week system will go. Each office will have to come forward to say 'we will call (say) 10 per cent staff in the morning, 20 per cent post-lunch and 30 per cent at night'. Similarly, work days can be divided among employees. You will now have to look at some offices starting at say 6 am, and finishing by lunch time. Another subset will begin at lunch and finish by dinner. Then those who will even start post dinner and run through the night."

Mehta further focused on the reforms brought in public transport, as work in Mumbai relies heavily on it. The only way to reduce extra pressure on public transport according to him is by reducing work hours/days.