KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that all migrant labourers in the state will be screened and symptomatic patients will be tested for coronavirus. “Migrant labourers will be screened, symptomatic patients will be tested. If tested negative, they will be allowed to go home,” the West Bengal Chief Minister said this while addressing a press briefing.
Rejecting reports that the West Bengal government was not concerned bout the plight of migrants, the Trinamool Congress chief further informed that the she has ''already given 10 lakh insurance for front line workers.’’
''The Centre has said the mild symptomatic patients can stay home. Few people are trying to incite riots during Ramzan. Don't spread fake news. Some political parties are trying to incite riots. Don't share fake news. Law will take its course,’’ the Trinamool Chief also warned.
Referring to the latest violence in Hooghly, she said, “We will get the list of ones whose houses have been vandalised in Hooghly. Everyone is equal and will make sure that no one doing anything wrong is spared.’’
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said on Tuesday said that an early relief from the COVID-19 crisis is unlikely and underscored the need for a three-month plan to deal with the situation. Targeting the BJP-led Centre, Banerjee said people were facing problems since the imposition of the lockdown on March 25 as the move was "poorly planned".
She also lashed out at the saffron party for allegedly instigating communal clashes in the state, amid the shutdown. Stressing the need to revitalise economy, she said more relaxations were in the offing for red and green zones in the state.
Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress chief, said areas in red zones will be divided into three categories.
"Red zones in the state will be further divided into categories A, B and C. Zone A will have no relaxations, zone B will have some relaxations with adherence to social distancing and zone C will comprise areas outside containment zones. Essential goods and services will be available in zone C," she said.
District magistrates, along with senior police personnel, will decide on reopening of shops and availability of services in red zones, the chief minister said, adding that buses and taxis will be allowed to ply only in green zones.
Talking about her interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his video conference with chief ministers on Monday, Banerjee said Bengal gained nothing out of the meeting and was left "empty-handed".
The Centre is yet to clear the "legitimate financial dues" of the state, she claimed. Clashes had erupted in Telinipara area of West Bengal's Hooghly district after members of one community were allegedly addressed as "corona" by a handful of locals belonging to another group.
Asserting that the Centre should have given "two-three days" before imposing the lockdown, she said migrants workers would not have suffered if the move was carefully planned.
This crisis could have been averted. In Bengal, we are dealing with the crisis with utmost sincerity, but there are reports that labourers from the state are being ill-treated elsewhere. They are being beaten up in Gujarat, Delhi and some other states. This is unacceptable," Banerjee said. Responding to allegation that Bengal was not doing enough to bring home workers, the TMC boss said the state will be sending nine trains for migrants stranded in other states and was planning to deploy more in a phased manner.
Steps would be taken to restart 100-day work scheme in the state for the labourers, she said.
