IMCT seeks to know what steps Bengal Govt has taken on infected Tablighis
The spat between the Centre and the West Bengal Government continued over inspection of implementation of lockdown in the State. On Saturday, the Centre’s appointed inter-ministerial Central team (IMCT) wrote to West Bengal Government and Union Home Ministry alleging the State did not provide it adequate logistical support and security during their visits to assess the impact of coronavirus outbreak.
The IMCT has sought to know details about steps taken by the Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation to identify and quarantine those who returned from the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area. Presently two Central teams are visiting the State — one in Kolkata and the other at Siliguri in north Bengal.
In a letter to Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiv Sinha, the IMCT led by Additional Secretary Apurva Chandra said it is yet to receive a response from the State Government to the letters it has written to Sinha since its arrival in the city on Monday.
In his letter marked also to the Union Home Secretary, Chandra said he wrote four letters to the State Government till Saturday, but received no response.
The IMCT was given half-hour notice for a visit to CNCI Hospital and Bangur Hospital on April 23 and Damurjola quarantine centre and Sanjivan Hospital in Uluberia sub division of Howrah district on April 24. The Chief Secretary of West Bengal has been widely reported in the media to have stated that the IMCT is free to visit anywhere, and the State Government cannot waste its time by accompanying them, Chandra wrote.
“The above stand is a violation of the order by the Union Home Ministry and the State Government is expected to provide logistics support and facilitate all field visits,” Chandra said in the letter.
“The stand of the State Government on facilitating the visits of the IMCT and ensuring the safety and security of the team members as also providing information and records may be made clear through a written communication rather than through media so that further steps can be taken by the IMCT,” the letter read.
Chandra has also sought to know from the State Government that in the absence of police escort, if it would take responsibility for the safety and security of the IMCT if it ventures out on its own. “Whether the BSF accompanying the IMCT on behalf of the Government is free to take action to ensure safety and security of the IMCT in absence of police support,” the letter asked.
It said no senior State official accompanies them on visits and their only expectation is that doctors and officers at the venue should meet and provide information to the team. “Whether it is a fact that a DCP of Bengal Police informed Bengal officers at BSF guest house on April 21 that the IMCT cannot leave the campus without the permission of the State Government as lockdown is in force and if it leaves it is only permitted to go to the airport,” the letter read, seeking to know if there is truth to this statement.
It said the State Government is expected to provide ‘accommodation, transportation, PPE and extend all cooperation for their visits to local areas, production of records as requested’, according to the MHA order.
In another letter to Bengal CS and Home Secretary, another IMCT led by Vineet Joshi, in north Bengal, said more field officers are required to monitor and provide feedback about the effectiveness of various measures undertaken by the Government.