Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray on Thursday suggested to his cousin and CM Uddhav Thackeray that some relaxations could be granted with regard to reopening a few commercial activities to make up for the state's sinking coffers. One measure was to allow liquor shops, permit rooms, and economy restaurants to operate in the lockdown period which might extend further after May 3.

Raj wrote a comprehensive letter to the CM spelling out imminent economic dangers and some ways to recover it. He said the government should stop thinking of morality in reopening liquor dens which have been shut since April 18. "Liquor consumers must be forced to follow pandemic guidelines such as social distancing," he said.

The MNS chief said the idea behind reopening the liquor joints and restaurants should be to generate revenue because the state needs it most to sustain expenses instead of placating the consumers. He said that liquor sales earned the state R41.66 crore daily in taxes. "The monthly collection has been R1,250 crore and annual income around R14,000 crore," he said, while adding that most petrol pumps too were shut and real estate transactions were on a standstill for the past 35 days.