With rumors of a complete shutdown and possible scarcity of daily essentials gripping the market, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday warned the rumor mongers of strict action for “spreading false and fake information.”
“Some people are spreading rumor about a complete shut down and a possible scarcity of essential items in the face of corona scare but I want to warn these elements to desist from making false, fake and irresponsible information … The police have been instructed to take stringent action such people who are spreading such rumor,” Banerjee said.
“All shops are open and will remain open and there is no need to fear. Though the borders with some States have been sealed there is enough stock with us and the situation is normal,” she said adding the Government was in firm control of the situation.
Bengal Government has made elaborate preparations to deal with situations related to Corona outbreak Banerjee said. The Chief Minister who held a lengthy meeting with private medical facilities and the nodal agencies of the Government said that Corona was a challenge and her Government was determined to win it.
“Corona is a challenge and we will definitely win it,” Banerjee said appealing to the private players to come forward and contribute towards the fighting the pandemic.
“This is not time for business. We will have to stand by the people together and fight against this disease which has come as a threat to the mankind,” Banerjee said alleging her Government has not been getting the kind of support it requires from the central government to erect a preparedness against any possible outbreak of the disease. “We are waiting for the kits from the Centre but they have not sent us the kits,” she said.
Presently out of 399,469 people screened and 77 samples tested in the State only one person—a son of a bureaucrat who recently returned from London — has tested positive, the Chief Minister said.
She said 25 people have been kept in isolation and 17,500 people have been advised home surveillance. “We are procuring 2 lakh special suits for the nurses who involved in corona care … besides this orders have been placed for 300 ventilation machines” she said adding , about two lakh gloves and as many numbers of masks were being procured.
Apart from the isolation beds kept available at Beleghata ID Hospital and Chittaranjan Cancer Institute, Rajarhat, 50 beds have been kept ready at RG Kar Hospital and 150 beds have been earmarked at MR Bangur Hospital, she said. This apart, district hospitals at Siliguri in North Bengal, Midnapore, Burdwan are being readied to tackle emergency, she said.
The Chief Minister on Wednesday had ordered a 50 percent reduction in staff attendance at Government offices. “Daily till next circular the staff will be allowed to leave office by 4 pm instead of 5 pm in the evening so that there is less rush in trains and buses,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress and the Left blamed the BJP for mingling politics with relief work even as the workers of that party went about distributing saffron masks among the people.
“This is obnoxious, dirty that people of some party will play politics when the country is facing such unprecedented crisis,” a senior Minister in the Government said.