Opposition leaders discuss Conora situatuion in Bengal at all-party meet
Kolkata, 24 June (HS) Political parties in West Bengal today joined an all-party meeting convened by Chief minister Mamata Banerjee and discussed in detail the future course of action to deal with Covid-19 in more effective manner as the death toll crossed 580 .
Though the details of the meeting, which began at the state Secretariat at Nabanna at 3 pm, were not yet available, according to informed sources most of the opposition leaders including BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty and Congress leader Pradip Bahattacharya expressed strong reservations at the steps taken by the state health department to contain the spread of the disease and treat the Corona patients as per the WHO guidelines.
The leaders paid tributes to Trinamool Congress MLA Tamonash Ghosh, who passed away earlier in the day due to Corona, by observing a one minute silence in his memory at the start of the meeting. After the opening remarks of the Chief Minister, the opposition leaders one after another started criticising the state government and blamed it for failure to contain the pandemic in the state.
While BJP President Dilip Ghosh alleged that their suggestions were not heard by the ruling party, the CPI-M and Congress spoke about several hospitals refusing to admit Covid patients.
Turning their attention to other issues at the meet, the BJP reportedly lodged protest to the Chief Minister for not being allowed by TMC workers to distribute relief after the Amphan disaster in South and North 24 Parganas.
Later all opposition leaders including those of Forward Bloc, CPI and RSP raised the issue of corruption in the distribution of free rations to the Amphan affected people during lockdown in many areas and demanded strong and immediate action to redress the public grievances.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by State Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee and several top leaders of the TMC listened to the grievances of the Opposition parties and sought their suggestions on steps to prevent Corona spread and its treatment .
Earlier the Chief minister personnally called up all opposition leaders including state BJP president Dilip Ghosh over phone and requested them to join the all party meet.
She said though the rate of recovery from Corona in West Bengal was 62.5 per cent against the national average of 59 per cent, there was an urgent need to discuss the future course of action to deal with the pandemic in a more sustained manner.
