Home Ministry welcomes West Bengal govt’s decision to extend full cooperation to Inter-Ministerial Central Team

After initially denying permission to the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) for on the spot assessment of compliance and implementation of lockdown measures in the State, West  Bengal government has acceded to Co-operate. Chief Secretary of West Bengal Rajiva Sinha in a letter to the Home Ministry has assured that the State will follow the orders under Disaster Management Act , 2005 and the directions of the Honourable Supreme Court in this regard.

Meanwhile, Union Home Ministry has welcomed this decision and said that this will facilitate proper assessment and redressal of any shortcomings in the measures taken by the State in order to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The Centre has sent six IMCT teams to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal to make the assessment of the compliance and implementation of lockdown measures.

The IMCTs deputed to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are already on the ground and are carrying out their responsibilities smoothly in consultation with the State Governments. The team has public health specialists and officers of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) who can lend their expertise to the State Government for management of the COVID-19 epidemic. The IMCTs focus is on issues like the supply of essential commodities,social distancing , preparedness of health infrastructure and hospital facility. They will also look into aspects like sample statistics in the district, safety of health professionals, availability of test kits,PPEs, masks and other safety equipment and conditions of the relief camps for labour and poor people.