Urge Centre to provide special package for all states to combat COVID-19: CM
Kolkata: A resolution has been proposed in the all-party meeting that was held at Nabanna on Monday to urge the Centre for a special package for all states to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The topic came up during the meeting of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with senior political leaders of the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, BJP, RSP, SUCI and BSP who welcomed Banerjee's move to call the all-party meeting to discuss issues that would help in combating the disease.
Stating that Bengal government is leaving no stone unturned to keep its people safe in this situation, Banerjee said: "This is not the time to do politics. Let all of us come together and approach the Centre for a special package for all states to fight the disease."
She urged TMC Congress leader Partha Chatterjee to prepare a draft in this regard along with leaders of all the political parties, including CPI(M)'s Sujan Chakraborty and Dr Surya Kanta Mishra, Congress' Abdul Mannan and Pradip Bhattacharya and the BJP leaders. Banerjee said the Centre is yet to release the fund that state government had spent during cyclone Bulbul. She requested all to approach the Centre so the same is released at the earliest as it could also be utilised to fight COVID-19.
Despite the Rs 200 crore corpus that was set up to fight the disease, it is now being exhausted to create infrastructure and buy necessary masks, hand sanitisers, PPEs, etc. "We have got nothing from the Centre," Banerjee said.
She again reiterated that a lesser number of kits supplied by the Centre to the state was affecting treatment. She mentioned that there were only 40 kits available but on Monday, 90 have been sent. In connection with the required laboratory facilities in Bengal, Banerjee said: "We have urged the Centre to give permission to set up seven labs and ICMR gave clearance to set up only one at Midnapore. Private laboratories can also start the task if they are provided with the SOP in this regard."
The Chief Minister also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday seeking immediate suspension of domestic flights to Bengal. On Monday itself, around 100 domestic flights operated from Bengal and it will continue till Tuesday midnight. Banerjee urged all concerned officers to ensure that health facilities are started at marriage halls, flood centres and indoor stadiums in the state to ensure necessary infrastructure.
She also stated that arrangements are being made to enable doctors and nurses to stay at hotels near the hospitals where they are treating COVID-19 patients. Transport facilities will also be provided to them.
She tweeted on Monday evening: "At this critical juncture, it is only collective efforts & public cooperation which can help fight this menace. It is my sincere request to all the fellow citizens to abide by Government guidelines. Until and unless an emergency, please don't step out of your homes. We will fight this together. Only we can help keep everyone around us safe."
It was also decided that the jute industries would be shut from Monday but the employees will be getting paid leaves. The ration shops will remain open on all seven days and distribution of rice and potatoes weighing 2 kg each among beneficiaries of midday meal has been completed already.
A 57-year-old man who had tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to a private hospital, died on Monday afternoon, marking the first death in Bengal since the outbreak of the virus.
However, Kolkata bore a completely different look on Monday evening as roads turned empty, major establishments were closed and shutters of shops were pulled down at 5 pm with "complete safety restrictions" imposed in 46 "urban and rural areas" in Bengal to check the spread of COVID-19.
