Amid Centre-state face-off, Inter-Ministerial Central Team's movement begins in Kolkata

According to reports, the five-member IMCT, led by Department of Defence's Additional Secretary Apurva Chandra, left the BSF Officers' Institute at Gurusaday Dutta Road in south Kolkata's Ballygunge area, where they are staying, in evening. 

Image: The IMCT team moving in Kolkata

The Inter-Ministerial team is currently visiting multiple sensitive zones across the city along with Kolkata Police and BSF personnel. West Bengal has been called out for its alleged shortcomings in combating Covid-19 through enough tests and stringent implementation of lockdown.

Image: A file picture of WB Chief Minister monitoring Covid-19 measures 

Earlier in morning, leader of the IMCT, Apurva Chandra, had alleged that state government was not cooperating with them and their movements were being blocked by the local authorities.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha held a 35-minute-long meeting with the Central team at the BSF facility.

Meanwhile, during a media briefing in New Delhi, MHA's Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that West Bengal government was not cooperating with the two IMCTs deployed in Kolkata and Jalpaiguri in north Bengal.

"Inter-Ministerial Central Teams, which have been deployed to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, are getting full cooperation from state authorities while two IMCTs, which are deployed to West Bengal, reported that they are not getting any support from the state govt and local authorities," Punya Salila Srivastava said.

"It has been also reported that West Bengal government is blocking the IMCTs from visiting hotspot zones in the state and discussing the situation with medial professionals, which is a violation of the Centre's order under Disaster Management Act 2005," Srivastava said.

"Sending another letter to the state administration, we have asked the state government to cooperate with the teams," she added.

Later, the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha asking him to cooperate with the Central teams and to make all necessary arrangements.

Image: West Bengal has been called out for violations of lockdown norms in several areas

"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 cooperation by the state and local authorities," Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote in the letter.

"They have been specifically restrained from making any visits, interacting with health professionals, and assessing the ground level situation, and this 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," Ajay Bhalla wrote.

"You are directed to comply with the MHA order and make all necessary arrangements for the IMCTs to carry out such responsibilities as have been instructed to them," the letter read.

Sources said that following the Centre's steps, the state government allowed the IMCTs to visit sensitive zones in Kolkata for ground assessment of Covid-19 situation.
Since the Central government deployed the IMCTs to West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and state Chief Secretary have started criticizing Centre's move.
Slamming the Centre, senior TMC leaders alleged that the Modi-government was trying to demolish federal structure in the country.

Image: A scene of Kolkata during lockdown. Photo by Avishek Mitra