Mamata takes dig at Guv's tweet seeking paramilitary forces

Kolkata: Without naming Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took a dig at him on Wednesday for suggesting deployment of Central paramilitary forces in Bengal to tackle the COVID-19 situation, instead of extending necessary support that is most needed at this situation.

Banerjee said at Nabanna on Wednesday: "Instead of extending necessary support at this time of emergency, some are saying that there is need of paramilitary forces. There are examples of even CISF personnel getting infected with the disease."

The Chief Minister has also repeatedly stated that this is not the time to do politics and the state government at this moment is fighting against COVID-19 and not against "communal or political disease".

Dhankhar tweeted: "Lockdown protocol has to be thoroughly implemented to ward off #coronavirus. Police and administration @MamataOfficial failing to effect 100% #SocialDistancing or curbing religious congregations be shown door. Lockdown must succeed-examine central para forces requisitioning!"

This comes at a time when Bengal has come up as a role model in ensuring 100 percent lockdown with the administration and the police making people maintain social distancing "with a humane face" to check the spread of COVID-19.

Besides carrying out round-the-clock patrolling and naka-checking, drones are getting used across the state to check gatherings as well. All commissionerates and district police have hired additional drones apart from the existing ones that they are using to carry out vigilance.

The drones are fitted with high resolution cameras and people can be easily identified in the video footage captured. After going through the footage, people are booked for unnecessarily gathering at any public place.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had visited markets and created awareness by drawing circles on road using a piece of brick in front of vegetable shops to make people understand how they should behave while visiting shops to collect essential commodities.

Subsequently, the police made it mandatory for people to maintain safe distance when they come out to collect essential commodities and also ensured that no gathering takes place at marketplaces. People were allowed to visit markets by following the set protocols.

As many as 1,174 markets have also been relocated to avoid gathering. Police have identified the markets which are situated on a small piece of plot or where people need to pass through narrow passages to visit the stalls. Since it leads to gathering of people, the markets were shifted to spacious areas.

There are around 963 markets which were expanded to make the same more spacious. As a result, people are easily maintaining social distancing at these markets.