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The war of words between the Center and the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal escalated a bit more on Tuesday after the Union Minister of the Interior wrote a second letter to the state “directing the chief secretary of West Bengal to comply with instructions of the MHA (Ministry of the Interior) “.
“It has been reported to this ministry that the IMCTs (central inter-ministerial teams) in Kolkata and Jalpaiguri have not received the necessary cooperation from the state and local authorities. In fact, they have been specifically prevented from visiting, interacting with professionals health and assessing the situation at ground level, “said the letter to Bengal’s chief secretary Rajiv Sinha. “This amounts to obstructing the implementation of orders issued by the central government under the Disaster Management Law and the equally binding instructions of the Supreme Court.”
“Therefore, you are instructed to comply with the MHA order of April 19, 2020 and to make all necessary arrangements for the IMCTs to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to them,” he added.
The Union Home Office said on Monday that the COVID-19 situation was “especially serious” in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and some other locations in West Bengal, and formed six IMCTs for on-site assessment and issue the necessary directions to the four states: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal.
While a core team arrived in Calcutta, another arrived in the Jalpaiguri district on Monday.
Subsequently, one of the core teams visited certain areas of Kolkata escorted by the Border Security Force (BSF) and state police personnel. The core team was seen leaving the BSF office in southern Kolkata around 4.45 p.m. Then he visited certain areas of the city.
On Tuesday, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) called the ICMT visit “adventure tourism,” questioning why the teams were not sent to states with a much higher number of coronavirus cases and hotspots.
The two IMCT teams were reportedly confined to their accommodation since their arrival. IMCT Kolkata team leader Apoorva Chandra said that unlike teams that have gone to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, their team received no cooperation from the Bengal government.
“They were given the same notice as the state of West Bengal, but they received no problems,” said Chandra, an additional secretary rank officer in the Defense Ministry, adding that the teams were assured of cooperation upon arrival. But then things changed. .
“We also met with the chief secretary last night in Nabanna (the secretary of state), they assured us that we will have a meeting again and we will leave to be taken away. But today they informed us that there are some problems and we will not leave,” Chandra said. .
Before addressing journalists through a Zoom conference, TMC MPs Derek O’Brien and Sudip Bandyopadhyay said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had been briefed on the team’s visit three hours after their arrival, which was unacceptable.
“The ICMT team is on adventure tourism. The CM was briefed on the team’s visit three hours after the team landed,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien asked why core teams did not visit states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh that have a higher number of coronavirus cases and many more critical points. He asked why core teams are being shipped to West Bengal, which is not listed in the top 10 states in terms of infection.
“The Center has to clarify. Why was the prime minister informed after the team’s arrival? In a federal structure, he must first report to the state government. The reason behind the dispatch of such teams is still unclear. Need clarification. first, “he said.
Bandyopadhyay, the TMC leader at Lok Sabha, expected good sense to prevail and the Center would henceforth consult the respective state before making such a decision.
“We have kept politics behind and we want a joint fight against the pandemic. Let us not take our grace for granted, we can also speak in political language. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union’s interior minister, Amit Shah, should also leave politics behind and should not take Bengal’s promise of a united fight to tackle the pandemic for granted, “O’Brien said. “What the central government has done by sending core teams is nothing more than an insult to the people of the state.”
In response to a question about the “low testing rate” in the state, Bandyopadhyay said 425 tests are conducted every day in West Bengal and that the number would rise to 600 starting Tuesday. He stated that Bengal initially had a shortage of Test kits sent by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).
Despite the state complying with all standards set by ICMR and the central government and doing its best to curb the disease, West Bengal has been targeted by the Center and the BJP, Lok Sabha member said.
“We urge the Center not to dilute the joint fight against COVID-19. The state government has followed all the rules and regulations established by ICMR and the Union government. But the Union government without informing the state government had sent teams to the state”. government. Is not acceptable. Such measures are not only against the basic tenants of federalism but also amount to diluting the joint fight against the COVID crisis, “Bandyopadhyay told reporters.
In protesting at the Center for sending teams to assess the “dire” situation of COVID-19 in the state, Banerjee wrote a letter to Modi on Monday highlighting “unilateral” and “undesirable” action, keeping his government in the dark.
Both parliamentary leaders said it was not “state against state” and appealed to the Center to cooperate with states. They said that once proper protocols are followed, the state will be happy to coordinate with the government.
(With PTI tickets)
