Mamata Banerjee urges PM Modi, Amit Shah to share criteria on lockdown assessment by central teams

Six IMCTs have been constituted by the Centre to assess the situation regarding the violations of lockdown, social distancing norms and attack on doctors, and submit a report to the government.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday (April 20) sought to know the rationale behind the formation and deployment of Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) in several districts to assess the enforcement of lockdown norms in states. She urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to share criteria for the assessment, without which the Bengal government not not be able to take any further step. 

Taking to social media, Mamata shared a post on Twitter, that read, "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."

"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," she said in another tweet.

Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said that the Centre did not consult the West Bengal government before sending the inter-ministerial teams. He said the ICMT teams were sent to the state without following laid-down norms and said the members deployed have been roaming several areas, but the administration here has not been kept in the loop.

Six IMCTs have been constituted by the Centre to assess the situation regarding the violations of lockdown, social distancing norms and attack on doctors in states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal, and submit a report to the government.

In Bengal, seven districts which are under the radar are: Kolkata, Howrah, North 24-Parganas, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, East Medinipur and Jalpaiguri.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, IMCTs will focus on compliance and implementation of lockdown measures as per the guidelines, supply of essential commodities, social distancing, preparedness of health infrastructure, the safety of health professionals and conditions of the relief camps for labour and poor people.