Mamata Banerjee extends anti-Covid-19 lockdown in Bengal till Jul 31

The lockdown will continue till Jul 31.

"Various political parties have different opinions on lockdown. But the government wants to continue with the lockdown with the existing relaxations to curb the spread of Covid-19," Mamata said at the end of the meeting.

However, CPI-M leader Surjya Kanta Mishra, who was present in the meeting along with his party colleague Sujan Chakraborty, told media, "The lockdown must be decided as per the guidelines of WHO, ICMR and the experts of the government."

"The lockdown can't be imposed without planning in a vast country like India," Mishra added.

Mamata has announced all educational institutions will remain shut in July.

"The schedule of Higher Secondary Examinations will be announced by Education Minister Partha Chatterjee," the CM added.

Following the all-party meeting, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya told media, "We told the CM that preventive measures and steps must be taken to control Covid-19 if the contagion remains in the country for a longer period... Also non-Covid patients must be taken care of."

'Corruption' issue raised in all-party meeting

At the all-party meeting chaired by Mamata at state headquarters Nabanna, the CPI-M raised the issue of corruption at the ground level, allegedly by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) members, related to Amphan reliefs.

The Leftist party has accused the TMC of "looting" the reliefs of cyclone Amphan-affected people in the state.

CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty told media, "The state government was compelled to admit that there was a lack of transparency."

"No one should be allowed to loot relief materials of common people. We will not tolerate the sufferings of people," added the Jadavpur MLA.

Mamata, who has accepted that some "problems" are prevailing at the ground level regarding Amphan relief, said, "No wrong activities will be tolerated. Complains must be lodged at the BDO office immediately after noticing any such activity (of looting)."

Nothing called national disaster, BJP on Amphan

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, "There is nothing called national disaster. The central government helps a state after a certain amount of money is asked for. The central team had visited West Bengal already. But the state government will have to take a stand."

The West Bengal government on Jun 6 had shared with the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) the details of the damages worth Rs. 1,02,442 crore caused due to super cyclone Amphan that has left a trail of devastation in the eastern state. 

Earlier Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had visited West Bengal within 48 hours since the devastation was caused, had announced Rs. 1,000 crore for the state's immediate relief works.

The super cyclone Amphan had hit the eastern state of over nine crore people on May 20. 

(Image Credit: IBNS File)