Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Asked The Centre To Give Valid Reasons For The Deployment Of IMCTs

New Delhi: After the home ministry’s communication, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee asked the Centre to give valid reasons for the deployment IMCTs. “We welcome all constructive support and suggestions, especially from the Central government in negating the COVID-19 crisis. However, the basis on which the Centre is proposing to deploy IMCTs in select districts across India including a few in WB under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 is unclear,” she tweeted.

“I urge both Honb’le Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji and Home Minister Amit Shah Ji to share the criterion used for this. Until then I am afraid, we would not be able to move ahead on this as without valid reasons this might not be consistent with the spirit of federalism,” the CM added.

The orders, signed by Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla in his capacity as the chairperson of the National Executive Committee under the Disaster Management Act, also said that the ministry of civil aviation will provide to the IMCTs air transportation from New Delhi as their deployment is for an essential purpose.

The state governments will have to provide logistical support to the IMCTs; equip them with PPEs; and extend all cooperation for their visits to local areas, including providing documents and records as requested.

Separately, the Centre warned the Kerala government over its decision to allow opening of restaurants, bus travel in cities and opening of MSME industries in urban areas, saying it amounted to dilution of lockdown guidelines and also the Supreme Court observation.

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government in Kerala said there was some “misunderstanding” due to which the Centre had objected to dilution of the lockdown protocol for controlling Covid-19.

In a communication to chief secretaries of state governments and Union territory administrations, Bhalla said some states and UTs were issuing orders allowing activities that were not allowed as per the guidelines issued by the home ministry under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

States and UTs can take stricter action than what is mentioned in the guidelines but cannot dilute or weaken them, the ministry said on Monday.

Home ministry joint secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said the home secretary wrote afresh to the states as some of them were issuing certain guidelines that amounted to “diluting” the lockdown leading to “severe repercussions to health” of the citizens.

“MHA is regularly monitoring the lockdown situation in the country. Wherever lockdown is being violated we (MHA) are taking adequate action in coordination with state governments,” she said at a daily briefing.

Writing this letter became important, she said, as in some states facilities were being allowed which were not permitted under the MHA guidelines.

The Centre has termed the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation “especially serious” in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and a few other areas while forming six ground teams to assess the situation and issue directions, even as it warned all states against diluting national lockdown rules, weakening India’s response to the crisis, and compromising the country’s public health.

Some states conditionally lifted select restrictions of the lockdown – in place till May 3 – after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said last week that curbs could be relaxed in places outside “containment zones” and potential hot spots to revive economic activity.

On Sunday evening, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla asked all chief secretaries to strictly follow the lockdown guidelines. He separately wrote to the Kerala chief secretary against watering down the restrictions after the state allowed opening of restaurants and bus travel in cities, and small industries in urban areas. Kerala was preparing to issue an order to roll back the decision, an official said on condition of anonymity.

The Centre’s warning to Kerala and all other states and Union Territories (UTs) came amid specific communications to Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to red-flag violations and issue specific instructions on controlling the outbreak.

The Union home ministry told the four states that incidents of violence against health workers, complete violation of social distancing norms outside banks, public distribution system (PDS) outlets and markets, and the movement of private and commercial vehicles with passengers in urban areas have been reported.

“After analysing the prevalence of such violations in major hot spot districts, it is clear to the central government that the situation is especially serious in the above mentioned areas and expertise of the Centre needs to be used,” a statement released by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said on Monday.

These violations pose a serious health hazard, both for the population of these districts and others in the country, the home ministry said. It also pointed to the Supreme Court’s March 31 observation that states are expected to faithfully comply with the directives and orders of the Centre in letter and spirit.

After analysing the prevalence of such violations in major hot spot districts, it is clear to the central government that the situation is “especially serious” in Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Kolkata, Howrah, East Medinipur, North 24 Parganas, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri (West Bengal), the home ministry said.

The Centre said six inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) will visit the identified areas in the four states within the next three days to make spot assessments and recommend remedial measures in a report to the central government.

While Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot did not comment on the IMCT visit, he tweeted on Monday to urge people in the state not to violate lockdown rules.

Commenting on the central teams visiting Madhya Pradesh, additional chief secretary, health, Mohd Suleman said: “The team is meeting officials. I am yet to speak to them.” There was no immediate response from Maharashtra officials on the Centre’s plan.

The IMCTs will assess the compliance with and implementation of lockdown measures, supply of essential items, preparedness of the health infrastructure and hospital facilities, safety of medical professional and the conditions of migrant workers housed in relief camps.

They will also assess the movement of people outside their homes, maintenance of social distancing measures and the availability of test kits and personal protective equipment in these areas, plus a few others in West Bengal, and submit a report to the Centre, according to the statement.

While two IMCTs each have been formed to assess the ground situation in West Bengal and Maharashtra, one team each will travel to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Orders have been issued to the chief secretaries of the four states on the exercise.

The five-member teams comprise officials from the ministries of health and consumer affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

On Monday, senior officials of the central and state governments went back to work as public offices reopened nearly a month after restrictions were enforced. In its revised guidelines, the home ministry had mandated that deputy secretaries and above ranks of the Union government were to rejoin offices while up to 33% of junior officers could be called in according to a department/ministry’s requirement.