Shrines to open in Bengal from June 1
■ Pvt, govt sectors to open 100%
Kolkata: Two days before the end of the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced a slew of relaxations, including reopening of shrines from June 1. The chief minister also announced restarting of private and public sector offices with full attendance from June 8.
At a time when the Centre is planning to extend the nationwide lockdown for the fifth round from June 1 due to Covid-19 pandemic, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that all the religious places in the state would be reopened from the next month.
Also allowing the public and private sectors to resume their operations with 100 per cent manpower, she however made it clear that her government has not been in an warpath with the Centre on the prospect of another round of extension.
“We are not in a fight with the Central government. We have been following their guidelines. But as a state we also have the authority to take decisions,” the Trinamul Congress supremo said.
Issuing the fresh set of relaxations she elaborated: “Religious places will reopen from June 1 with up to 10 people to be allowed at a time. The places have to sanitised properly. Tea plantations and jute mills will work at 100 per cent capacity from June 1. From June 8, private and government sectors will start work at 100 per cent capacity. However schools and colleges will remain closed.”
On Shramik Special trains ferrying the guest workers to the state, the CM alleged, “We are paying for 235 trains but then why are 2-3 people being made to sit on one seat? No social distancing being followed in these trains, it will only increase the Covid-19 spread. Are these Shramik Express or Corona Express? Why aren’t a few more bogeys being added? Many of them have died because they did not get food or water.”
She claimed: “People are scared, calling it Corona Express, there are law and order issues because of this. We want all to come back but don’t send everyone at the same time. How can we screen everyone at once? Where will we accommodate everyone? We are trying to turn the schools in rural areas into a quarantine centre for those who are returning from other states.”