Central Team Spends Day In "Lockdown" In Kolkata, No Reply To Letter For Help

The central team arrived in Bengal on Monday for its assessment amid the coronavirus crisis (File)

A central team sent to Bengal to investigate alleged violations of the coronavirus lockdown and lapses by the state government spent the day locked down in their guest house in Kolkata on Wednesday waiting for a response to their request to the Mamata Banerjee government for logistical support.

This, a day after a stern letter from the union home secretary to the Bengal chief secretary citing the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and a Supreme Court order to say the Bengal government must comply with orders and co-operate with the central team.

The Bengal chief secretary had written back to the union home secretary with the "highest assurance of cooperation". But less than 24 hours later, the central team was still waiting for the Bengal government's help to perform their duty.

The leader of the central team, Additional Secretary Apurva Chandra sent a letter to the Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha at 10:30 am for help, including personal protection gear.

Till 9 pm, there was no reply.

All day, the five-member team waited at the BSF guest house, twiddling their thumbs, sources said.

Rajiva Sinha did not respond to queries over WhatsApp about the letter.

Ajay Bhalla union home secretary has been copied on the letter.

Prefacing his letter to Mr Sinha with "since the state government has now decided to extend full cooperation to the central team," Mr Chandra wrote that the central team wanted a presentation by the health department on multiple points before it set out for an on the spot probe.

The team wants details on testing availability, facilities, capacity utilisation, availability of oxygen, beds, safety equipment and ventilators.

The letter included a specific query on Bengal's system of approval of cause of the declaration of death for COVID-19 patients by a committee of doctors at the state level. Opposition parties have raised several questions about the so called 'audit committee'.

"After full appreciation of the status of preparedness of the state government regarding COVID-19 and any other issues, the (team) would like to visit some of the hospitals, quarantine centres, hot-spots and market places during opening hours as mentioned in the list... and directly interact with the health professionals, inmates and the general public," Mr Chandra wrote.

The team requested that it be accompanied by officers of the health department, local bodies and other departments involved in the coronavirus fight and "not just a police officer who will have no or limited knowledge" of any measures other than implementing the lockdown.

According to sources, the fate of the second central team that flew directly from Delhi to Bagdogra in North Bengal was not very different. They too did not venture out all day on Wednesday. However, the divisional commissioner said they will soon receive all the papers and details that they had sought about the lockdown in North Bengal.