'What's the System to Declare Deaths as Covid-19?' In Questionnaire, Central Team Seeks Bengal's Explanation as Standoff Continues

Kolkata: The standoff between West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha and the Inter Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) continues as the latter, despite given ‘assurance of cooperation’, rubbished state government’s allegation that they were kept in dark about their arrival at Kolkata Airport on April 20.

The central team leader and additional secretary Apurva Chandra claimed that the state government was informed immediately after they reached Kolkata around 10 am.

Though, the central team members were allowed to visit some of the Covid-19 hospitals and quarantine centres on Thursday but there are couple of questionnaires (hinting towards death figures) sent by Chandra, which the state government is unlikely to respond as they alleged that the explanation sought by him resembles with the allegations made by the state BJP leaders.

The bone of contention are pointers number ‘a’, ‘c’ and ‘j’ of serial number 4 in Apurva Chandra’s letter where he asked the state government to reply on ‘the whether the level of testing in the state is adequate’, ‘protocol adopted for testing and the level at which conduct of a Covid-19 test is approved’ and ‘the system of approval of cause of declaration of death for Covid-19 patients by a committee of doctors at the state level.’

The other explanations sought by Chandra from the state government are: Whether the testing facilities available in the state are being used in full, availability of oxygen beds, ICU beds, oxygen supplies and ventilators, the number of surveillance teams and the number of persons surveyed per day in hotspots and containment zones, instances of Covid-19 in health professional and protective measures in this regard for the health professionals and at the hospitals concerned etc.

His letter also reads, “The IMCT arrived in Kolkata on April 20, 2020 at around 10 am and immediately contacted you seeking your time as well as support of the state government for making the visit effective."

Chandra claimed that they were not given time at the state secretariat for a detailed presentation regarding Covid-19 statistics and preparedness in West Bengal.

Referring to the Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha’s letter (dated on April 21, 2020) to the central team assuring full cooperation, Chandra also wrote a letter to Sinha on April 22, 2020, reminded him that since the government has promised full cooperation, the team members would like to visit quarantine centres, Covid-19 hospitals, market places.

“I met the team members and I told them to visit the places where they want to. We will provide all assistance,” Rajiva Sinha had said.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee - while condemning central teams for keeping the state government in dark about their movements in Bengal to asses Covid-19 situation - wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and termed the entire act as ‘breach of established protocol’.

She also expressed her dismay that Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed her over telephone about the central team around 1 PM but ground reality suggests that team already arrived in Kolkata around 10.10 AM special flight.

“Union Home Minister spoke to me over telephone at about 1 PM regarding visit of Inter Ministerial Central Teams to my state. Unfortunately, the teams had already landed at Kolkata Airport by special cargo flight 1701 at 10.10 am, which is much before our telephonic conversation. While I appreciate the pro-activeness shown

by the central government in sending their teams to West Bengal, the same was done without prior intimation and hence is a breach of established protocol,” her letter to PM Modi reads.