Mamata govt finally permits central team to commence Covid work; shoots letter to Centre

After much back and forth between West Bengal government and Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), former permitted Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCT) sent by MHA to conduct a field visit of COVID-19 hotspot districts of Kolkata and Jalpaiguri with state police and pilot cars of Border Security Force accompanying ICMT.

However, West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha has written to MHA on Tuesday about his apprehensions over sending teams without prior intimations to state government that led to a lack of prior arrangements and logistic support for teams.

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This comes after leader of one of central teams visiting West Bengal, Apurva Chandra, stated that teams were t receiving cooperation from West Bengal government; moreover, Central Government had reiterated IMCT's claim as Home Ministry Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said IMCT was sent to three states namely Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. While  or states extended support to teams, West Bengal maintained a rigid stand, she added.

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Apurva Chandra who is also  Director-General (Acquisition) and Additional Secretary in Defence Ministry, said that or teams visiting Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are getting full support of respective state governments whereas y were given same tice as West Bengal. A total of six inter-ministerial central teams have been deputed to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal to review implementation of lockdown measures.

Centre and West Bengal government are at loggerheads over a range of Covid-related issues, with Goverr going toe-to-toe with CM almost on a daily basis lamenting her refusal to allow Central Covid relief schemes, while Centre has also written multiple letters to state on similar grounds.