The West Bengal government on Friday asked the railway board to resume local train and subway services in the state on a limited basis, maintaining physical distance between passengers.
The state secretary of the interior, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, sent a letter to the ministry late Friday in which he hinted at the views of the state government.
“This is to inform you that the state government is of the opinion that local metro and train services can be resumed in Bengal in a limited way while maintaining the rules of physical distancing and health hygiene protocols,” Bandyopadhyay wrote in the letter.
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On Wednesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said the state has no problem if local train and subway services are resumed. It even allowed the resumption of flight services from six cities to Calcutta that had been suspended since July 6.
“Starting September 1, flight services to Kolkata from all six cities can resume and operate in three days,” Banerjee said after a cabinet meeting.
Flights to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai and Ahmedabad were stopped as of July 6 when the state government stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The dates were extended several times.
The center is likely to allow the resumption of metro services from September, when the fourth phase of unlocking economic activities will begin.
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