Emphasising that people will have to live through the contagious viral infection and an early relief from the COVID-19 crisis is unlikely, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday relaxations will soon be allowed in the red zones based on the inputs of the local authorities.
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The Chief Minister, while underlining the need for a short-term plan of three months to deal with the situation, said the red zones will be graded in three categories — A, B and C. She said the police will come up with the categories in the next three days and accordingly relaxations should be allowed.
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The Chief Minister said while stand alone shops have been allowed, shops selling electronics and restaurants for take away services will be operational. Addressing journalists after a meeting of the District Magistrates and the SPs, Ms. Banerjee said she has directed the officials to start the work for MGNREGA which has been suspended for almost two months.
One lakh migrants have arrived in the State
The Chief Minister said one lakh migrants have arrived in the State mostly through road transportation. “Ten passenger trains have already come. We will plan for 100 more trains. But we cannot allow people to come at one time.”
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She said people need to be screened before entering and suggested that those entering the State through roads must inform the authorities so that necessary arrangements for screening would be made at the entry points. “The District Magistrates (DMs) should be informed. I appeal to the States where they are coming from to inform our DMs so that people do not need to wait at the border as we have to do some screening,” Ms. Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister said the migrants should be engaged in 100 days work and in the small scale industries.
Ms. Banerjee said West Bengal should not be targeted alone on migrant workers. “More than a lakh people have already returned. About 90,000 came in buses and entered through various borders and many are virus-affected also...we welcome them as they are our people and they should return [but] the problem started as there was no planning.
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If it was planned earlier, three days of time was given and special trains were allotted...this problem would not have happened.” She said the State is incurring a loss of ₹6,000 crore a month and urged the Centre to clear the dues. Ms. Banerjee suggested that States should be allowed to borrow directly from the RBI, not through the Centre.
