By IANS,
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is geared up to tackle the Monday shutdown called by opposition parties protesting the hike in prices of petroleum and other essential commodities, officials said here.
Along with the entire police force of Mumbai, additional security personnel will be ready to prevent any untoward incident during the 12-hour shutdown which begins Monday 6 a.m., officials said Sunday.
While a majority of schools and colleges, besides many private companies and offices have already decided to remain closed as a precautionary measure, state government offices and all other departments are expected to function as usual.
Some taxi unions Sunday decided to keep off the roads as a precautionary measure, but reiterated that they were not supporting the shutdown.
Police have resorted to scores of preventive arrests of anti-social elements and trouble-mongers, besides local political leaders in Mumbai and other parts of the state.
On Saturday, Chief Minster Ashok Chavan had warned of stern action against hooligans indulging in violence or destruction of public and private property during the opposition-sponsored nationwide shutdown Monday.
Chavan has also ordered all concerned authorities must ensure that essential services like the suburban and long-distance trains, flights, public buses and supply of food items, medical and ambulance facilities are operated with adequate personnel manning them.
Chavan’s orders came following a high-level meeting of officials from the concerned departments, security, public transport authorities and others held to review the situation two days ahead of the shutdown.
Chavan said that as per a Supreme Court ruling of 1998, all such shutdown calls were an “illegal and unconstitutional” means of protest.
Hence, he directed police, district and state administration officials to keep a strict watch on hooligans indulging in any form of violence or damage to properties.
He warned that the government would recover the costs of all such damages and directed the concerned authorities to set up teams to monitor violence anywhere in the state.
The chief minister requested the railway officials to ensure that the suburban trains are operated normally so that Mumbai’s eight-million plus commuters are not inconvenienced.
The authorities would deploy additional public transport buses as taxis and autorickshaw unions are likely to support the shutdown.
He added that care would also be taken to ensure that nobody is forced to join the shutdown and people are allowed to go about their normal routine as usual.
The shutdown is supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena.