Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad has informed that she is to consult with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray with regards to allowing school-going students on the Mumbai locals once classes resume from February 15.
However, railway timings for the general public do not align with school or college hours, which is why the government said that it will approach the railways for more clarification on the matter. Trains are currently allowed for the general public prior to 6 AM, and between noon to 4 PM, and after 9 PM. The timing has been restricted to avoid crowding in view of the pandemic. This means the general public will not be permitted to travel between 7 am and 12 noon and between 4 pm and 9 pm, which are considered peak travel hours.
On the other hand, earlier on May 8, 2020, under the powers vested under Section (21) of the Maharashtra Educational Institution Fees (Regulation) Act 2011 as well as under the powers vested under Section (26) (i) and (l) of the Disaster Management Act, all board, medium and pre-primary students from class 12th, for the convenience of parents, the option to deposit monthly/quarterly/non-one time fees for the academic year 2019-20 and 2020-21 have been made available and no fees have been increased for the academic year 2020-2021.
Meanwhile, even though the spread of the coronavirus disease has been contained to some extent, the risk of contracting the contagious illness remains high. So, even if the local resumes for the general public, the instructions to use face masks, sanitisers, masks, social distancing have been given by the state government in order to safeguard the citizens.
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