COVID-19 cases rising in Bengal with Centre sending back migrant in unplanned way: Mamata

Lashing out at the Centre for allegedly sending back lakhs of people without proper planning West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that COVID-19 cases are rising as several migrants are returning with sickness.

She said that the Centre was not only sending back migrants without any proper planning but was also not providing them with any food, money and medical treatment.

“When they are returning to Bengal from Mumbai, Chennai, Gujarat, Indore and Delhi many among them are coming with sickness. Here COVID-19 cases were much lower but it has gone up because our brothers and sisters are returning from other states,” said Banerjee. She was speaking a government program in the city.

Without directly naming BJP she accused the saffron party of “screaming for votes” as the state government is battling to save people from calamities.

“When we are fighting to save people from calamities then a political party is screaming “vote for us, vote for us. Is this a time for politics. I am not saying that drive our Narendra Modi from Delhi because I think it is not an appropriate time for that,” said Banerjee.

“They are raising a hue and cry about migrant workers but not giving a penny. Till now our government has spent Rs. 200 crore for this. At least 10 lakh migrant workers have returned from the state. We have paid all of their train and bus fares,” she said.

She said that out of the 4,200 square km of Sundarban in the state, 1,600 square km have got totally destroyed by the cyclone.

“Your (Forest Departments) initiative to plant 5 crore mangrove plants in Sundarban is a major step,” said Banerjee.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister on the occasion of World Environment Day said that the cyclone has caused “incalculable ecological damage” in Kolkata and south Bengal.

“Best wishes to all on #WorldEnvironmentDay. Save green, save life. After the cyclone, incalculable ecological damage has occurred in #Kolkata & south #Bengal. Tens of thousands of trees have been uprooted. We must all work together to restore the greenery in our State,” tweeted Banerjee.