Ready to work with Centre, stakeholders for comprehensive battle against COVID-19, says Mamata Banerjee, demands GST dues

Mamata Banerjee assured that West Bengal is fully prepared with trained manpower and required infrastructure for the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

New Delhi/Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday (November 24, 2020) asserted that her government is ready to join the Centre and all stakeholders for a comprehensive battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The firebrand Trinamool Congress chief said that the entire nation is now looking forward to an early vaccination programme for everyone as soon as the COVID-19 vaccine is available.

The Chief Minister said, “We are ready to work with Centre and all other stakeholders to ensure speedy and universal vaccination for everyone as soon as the vaccine is available."

She made these remarks while participating in a video conference meeting from Bankura District convened by the Union Government which was chaired by 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several chief ministers. 

She assured that West Bengal is fully prepared with trained manpower and required infrastructure (including cold chain) for the vaccination programme. Banerjee observed that despite the onset of festivities in the Durgapuja-Kalipuja-Chath puja season, and despite the recommencement of the massive sub-urban rail movements, West Bengal has been successful in actually reducing the positivity rate and the death rate and in improving the discharge rate.

"Indeed, despite being a border state with international borders with multiple countries and several states, and despite carrying the cosmopolitan heritage of bearing the burden of patients from the neighbouring states, West Bengal has been performing remarkably well (when compared with similarly placed other metropolitan regions of the country)," she noted.

She also mentioned the valiant fight of the health workers (including Asha and other Covid-19 warriors) in fighting the continuing battle against COVID, which is particularly complicated by co-morbidities as is now evident to all.

"ASHA workers have already made 4.5 Cr visits to households in great public health campaign," she stated. The West Bengal CM also raised the issue of outstanding GST dues during the meeting.

She said, "The Central Government is not yet releasing adequate funds in favour of the states. As far as West Bengal is concerned, the dues on account of GST compensation to the tune of Rs 8,500 Cr have accumulated; on the other hand, expenses on every account are increasing." " The state has already spent around Rs 4,000 Cr only on account of COVID management but till now the Centre has released only Rs 193 Cr," she said.

Taking a cue from the point raised by the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Banerjee affirmed that political gamesmanship, competitive rallies and public health hazards must be averted in society in the greater public interest.

During the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier said the high severity of the third wave of COVID-19 in the national capital is due to many factors, pollution is an important one, according to sources.

During the meeting, CM Kejriwal told PM Modi that Delhi saw the peak of 8,600 coronavirus cases on November 10 during the third wave and since then, the number of cases as well as the positivity rate are steadily decreasing, the sources said. The Delhi chief minister hoped that the trend would continue in the national capital.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray informed PM Modi that the state has formed a task force to ensure timely distribution of coronavirus vaccine and executing the vaccination programme. Thackeray is currently attending the meeting of the Prime Minister with chief ministers of various states over the coronavirus situation.

PM Modi interacted via video-conferencing with the Chief Ministers of eight states that are witnessing a surge in the number of coronavirus cases to review the pandemic situation.