Flagging alleged “non-cooperation” by the West Bengal government, the Inter Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) stationed in Kolkata on Saturday wrote more letters addressed to Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, raising questions on why letters addressed to the State government have evoked no response so far.
“The IMCT has been in Kolkata since 10 a,m, on 20.04.2020. Four letters have been written by IMCT till today. No response have been received to any letters till date,” a letter by ICMT leader Apurva Chandra read.
Also read: Coronavirus | In Kolkata, IMCT raises questions on tests, ventilator facility
Mr Chandra, who is Additional Secretary Ministry of Defence, referred to remarks made of Chief Secretary that “IMCT is free to visit anywhere and senior officers of the State government cannot waste time accompanying the IMCT. The above stand is in “violation of the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs” where the State government is expected to provide logistic support and facilitate all field visits. Mr Chandra wrote.
In another letter the IMCT expressed concerns over quarantine centres and isolation zones. The letter raised the issue of people in quarantine centres denied access to their mobile phones.
The other IMCT which is stationed in north Bengal during the day suggested immediate stricter implementation of the ongoing lockdown and deployment of more fields officers to avoid any further outbreak of the COVID 19 . The IMCT team leader Vineet Joshi, additional Secretary to Ministry of Human Resource Development also wrote to Chief Secretary with these suggestions after touring parts of Kalimpong and Darjeeling district.
Also read: Inter-Ministerial Central Team waits as Centre-West Bengal face off
Responding to the IMCT’s concerns, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said the teams are were writing the letters to satisfy their bosses in Delhi, while Derek O’Brien, the national spokesperson of Trinamool Congress, said the IMCT’s real aim is to spread the political virus in Bengal.
“As expected, IMCT’s visit to Bengal has served no purpose. Their real aim is to spread the political virus. They are doing it shamelessly, blatantly,” Mr. O’ Brien said
40 new cases
Meanwhile, 40 new cases of COVID-19 infection was recorded in the State in past 24 hours. The total number of active cases in the State has increased 423. Two more persons were discharged taking the number of those discharged to 105. No death was reported by the State government in the past 24 hours and the number of deaths in the State remains at 18.
On Friday the State government revealed that it has audited 57 cases where people with COVID 19 infection died of which it only 18 were due to COVID-19 and 39 from co-morbid conditions. 947 samples have been tested in the State in the past 24 hours and total number of samples tested remains at 9880.
