The Centre has yet again pulled-up the State government for alleged non-cooperation over the the functioning of two specially constituted inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) to monitor Covid-19 status.
The IMCTs were set-up by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to assess the coronavirus situation on-ground, suggest redressal to state governments and submit a report to the Ministry. Of the six such IMCTs that were set-up, two have been sent to assess the situation across seven “especially sensitive” districts of West Bengal. The movement of these teams has allegedly been restricted by the Mamata Banerjee-led government.
The seven districts identified include Kolkata, Howrah, North 24-Parganas, Medinipur East, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalapiguri. Of these seven, new Covid-19 cases were reported from Kolkata, Howrah and North 24 Paraganas, over the last 24 hours.
“It has been brought to the notice of this ministry (Union Home Ministry) that both the IMCTs, at Kolkata and Jalpaiguri respectively, have not been provided with the requisite cooperation by the State and local authorities. In fact, they have been specifically restrained from making any visits, interacting with health professionals, and assessing the ground level situation,” the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote.
Centre is empowered
The IMCTs, he pointed out, are constituted under Article 35 of the Disaster Management Act 2005, which empowers the Centre to “take all such measures as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of Disaster Management”.
In the letter, Bhalla has “directed” the Chief Secretary of West Bengal “to comply” and “make all necessary arrangements for the IMCTs to carry out such responsibilities as have been entrusted to them.”
A Supreme Court order has also been mentioned in Bhalla’s letter where “state governments shall faithfully comply with directives and orders issued by the Union of India in letter and spirit in the interest of public safety”.
The appointment and subsequent arrival of the IMCTs has irked the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, who made her displeasure felt on social media and wrote to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, too. Banerjee alleged that there were no parameters for identifying the seven districts and she was also not apprised about arrival of IMCTs until they actually landed.
The Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, said on Tuesday, he has “not received” any such letter from the Union Home Secretary. He, however, added the state government was cooperating with IMCTs and helping them out with necessary information.
“The central teams should touch-base with the Chief Secretary’s office before moving on-ground. We have briefed them of the situation. A team wanted to visit parts of Kolkata, and we have allowed them to do so,” he said.
One of the teams had met the Chief Secretary yesterday evening and, on Tuesday morning, the Chief Secretary paid a visit to the guest house where this team was put-up.
“With a situation like Covid-19, everyone is busy. Discipline has to be shown from both sides. We are in the State and the teams coming from outside cannot tell us how to handle a lockdown,” Sinha maintained.