Mamata urges Centre to halt daily international flights under Vande Bharat
A COVID patient, who recently flew from Chennai, was not checked. The domestic flights from the hotspots have to be stopped till July, the CM said
Rattled by the rise of Covid-19 cases in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday urged the Centre to halt the daily international flights under Vande Bharat mission, domestic flight operations and Shramik Special trains to the state.
“The Centre has mandated seven days’ quarantine for the passengers upon their arrival in flights from abroad. But I found that they are not checked. No health protocol is followed. Our chief secretary Rajiva Sinha will write to the Centre to stop the international flights coming. We, however, have no objection if one such flight is allowed monthly,” she said.
Ms Banerjee noted, “A Covid-19 patient, who recently flew from Chennai, was not checked despite having papers. So the domestic flights from the hotspots have to be stopped till July. Also ten trains are daily coming here from the hotspots. We are writing to the Centre, requesting not to send the trains from those areas.”
Furious over the sharp rise in petrol and diesel prices, Ms Banerjee alleged, “The Government of India has been hiking the price continuously for the last 15 days amid pandemic. Some people are blaming the states shamelessly whereas the Centre is hiking the the price. They are at liberty to crack a joke!”
“Why would the price be hiked? The people do not have money in their pocket. They are leading a tough life. At some places, the diesel price has surpassed the petrol price. I fail to understand it. Those in the business of petrol and diesel are facing problems,” she argued.