WB govt deferred visit to hotspot areas a day after giving assurance: Central Officer

NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Tuesday said the West Bengal government is obstructing the implementation of its order by refusing to cooperate with the inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) in Kolkata and Jalpaiguri that have been sent to assess the COVID-19 situation.The MHA directed the state authorities to comply with the order by making all necessary arrangements for the IMCTs to carry out their responsibilities.“It has been brought to the notice of this ministry that both the IMCTs, at Kolkata and Jalpaiguri respectively, have not been provided with the requisite co-operation 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,” home secretary Ajay Bhalla said in a letter sent to the West Bengal chief secretary.Bhalla said West Bengal’s refusal to assist the teams “amounts to obstructing the implementation of the orders issued by the Central Government under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and equally binding directions of the Supreme Court”.“You are, therefore, directed to comply with the MHA order dated April 19, 2020 and make all necessary arrangements for the IMCTs to carry out such responsibilities as have been entrusted to them vide the aforesaid order,” the home secretary wrote.Two central teams have been deputed to West Bengal to review the implementation of lockdown measures after making on-spot assessment of the situation prevailing in identified select districts.The teams are led by additional secretary-level officers and comprise senior public health professionals and NDMA officers, “whose expertise can be leveraged by the state government for management of COVID-19 pandemic,” said the home secretary.Bhalla reminded the state government that the teams were deputed under the authority conferred on the Central Government under Section 35 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 which states that ... ”The Central Government shall take all such measures as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of disaster management”.He also drew attention to the Supreme Court’s observation in its order dated 31.03.2020, that the state governments will faithfully comply with the directives and orders issued by the Union of India in letter and spirit in the interest of public safety. “The said observations of the Hon'ble Supreme Court must be treated as directions and faithfully complied with,” he said.“In view of the powers exercised by the Central Government under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the clear directions Of the Supreme Court, the obligations imposed on the state governments in the interest Of preventing the spread of Covid-19 must be strictly followed,” noted the home secretary.