West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that religious places in the state can open up from June 1. Announcing a series of relaxations on Friday, Banerjee said that the number of coronavirus cases in the state is increasing due to the massive influx of migrant workers. The fourth phase of the Coronavirus-induced lockdown will end on May 31.
The Chief Minister also allowed full attendance at public and private offices in the state from June 8.
“From June 1, religious sites and places can open up in West Bengal, but there will be no major congregation. Public, private sectors to open up in West Bengal with 100% strength from June 8,” she said.
Lashing out at the Railways, she said, “Is the railways running Corona Express trains, instead of Shramik Special trains?” and asked why more trains are not being run for the migrant workers returning from other states.
Banerjee has been criticising the railways for the past few days for ferrying a large number of migrant workers to the state without consulting her government. The Chief Minister claimed that it is being done without following the norms of social distancing.
“Railways sending thousands of migrant workers in one train, why is it not allowing more trains for migrants,” she said.
The Chief Minister also claimed that the Trinamool Congress government was successful in controlling the spread of the virus in the last two months and blamed the rise in the number of cases on the influx of migrant labourers from coronavirus hotspot states such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi.
“…cases are increasing as people are arriving in the state from outside,” she said.
Meanwhile, West Bengal has reported seven more coronavirus related fatalities in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 302. As many as 277 new positive cases were reported on Friday. The state has a total of 4,813 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, of which 2,736 are active.
