No response to letters, no cooperation or security from West Bengal govt: IMCT writes again to state Chief Secretary

The IMCT chief also claimed in the letter that the Central team had sent four more letters to West Bengal government earlier and received no response from the state till date.

"The Chief Secretary of West Bengal has been widely reported in the media of having stated in his daily press conference that the IMCT is free to visit anywhere and senior officers of the state government can not 'waste' their time accompanying the IMCT — this stand is in violation of the MHA order," IMCT chief Apurva Chandra wrote in the letter.

Complaining of inadequate security  provided during the movement of the Central team, IMCT chief wrote, "In the absence of police escort, would the state government take responsibility for the safety and security of the IMCT if it ventures out on its own."

"Whether the BSF which is accompanying the IMCT on behalf of Government of India is permitted to take any action to ensure safety and security of the IMCT in the absence of police support," Chandra wrote.

The IMCT has also sought for a clarification on an input that a DCP of West Bengal Police had informed BSF officials that the team could not leave the BSF Officers Institute campus without taking permission from the state government and the team would only be permitted to go to the airport.

"Whether it is fact that a DCP of West Bengal Police informed BSF officers at BSF guest house on Apr 21 that the IMCT can not leave the campus without permission of the state government as lockdown is in force and the IMCT, if it leave the BSF guest house, is only permitted to go to the airport," IMCT chief wrote.

"Whether it is fact that IMCT has ever asked that senior officers of the state government should accompany the IMCT. In fact, on the visit of Apr 24, only junior level officers of the health department accompanied the IMCT. The only expectation of the IMCT is that doctors and officers at the venue should meet and provide information to the IMCT," Apurva Chandra wrote.

The IMCT chief again asked the state government to arrange PPEs for them which was mentioned in the MHA order.

"Whether PPE would be available to the IMCT which is required to be provided by the state government as per MHA order if the IMCT decides to visit a hospital/other areas on its own," he wrote.

Meanwhile, the IMCT also sought for information from the state about testing, quarantining and contact tracing of those people who returned to West Bengal from abroad as well as Markaz event at Nizamuddin in Delhi.

After visiting government quarantine facility in Howrah's Dumurjola area, an NGO-run Covid hospital near Uluberia and Salkia area in north Howrah, which has been identified as a corona hotspot and sealed, on Friday, IMCT chief Apurva Chandra said that the situation at Sanjiban Covid hospital was very satisfying while lockdown orders were being followed at Salkia area in a good manner.

"At the time of visit of Salkia containment zone at 7 pm, the lockdown was strictly enforced, however, the IMCT would have liked to meet officers of the local body and district administration as well as some of the residents during the visit," Apurva Chandra wrote in the letter. 

Explaining the situation of Dumurjola quarantine centre, Chandra wrote: "There are 80 inmates in the 118 capacity Dumurjola quarantine centre, the inmates are sent for testing after seven days stay of the facility and thereafter test results are received in two-three days.

"While the inmates expressed satisfaction with the food and stay arrangements, there was apprehension amongst the inmates about being taken in a cramped van for testing without maintaining any social distancing," Apurva Chandra wrote.

"Since the state government has taken away mobile phones from inmates in hospitals, the inmates of the quarantine centre were apprehensive as they had no information about the safety of their kin admitted to Covid hospitals," he wrote.

"Effectively an inmate is relieved only after two weeks of quarantine even if he has tested negative and there remains a possibility of his catching infection during the period," Chandra added.

Meanwhile, another IMCT, which has been deployed in north Bengal, too complained a non-cooperation by the state government.

"Additional data was sought during discussions with the Divisional Commissioner and DM Darjeeling on Apr 22 and CMO Darjeeling on Apr 23 which is still awaited," Chief of the north Bengal IMCT, Vineet Joshi, wrote to state Chief Secretary.

"Meeting sought with the Police Commissioner could not materialise as requested, the IMCT would still request you to faciliatate the meeting with the Police Commissioner," Joshi wrote in the letter.

"In view of the observed ground level situation, a number of details are required from his side regarding implementation of lockdown measures in terms of MHA's guidelines. I also request you to kindly ask your concerned officers to furnish the requested data," Vineet Joshi added.

The IMCT in Siliguri also suggested stricter implementation of lockdown and larger deployment of field officers in north Bengal to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.