West Bengal to open all places of worship from June 1: Mamata Banerjee

Shubhadeep Choudhury       

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Tribune News Service

Kolkata, May 29

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that the ban on places of worship in force in the state since March following the lockdown ordered by Home Ministry would be lifted and these would be allowed to open from June 1.

Talking to reporters here, the Chief Minister, however, added that maximum ten devotees at a time would be allowed at any place of worship — temple, mosque, gurdwara, church, etc. Ruling out congregation, she said religious assembly would not be allowed to be held in any of these places.

The Chief Minister said if large number of passengers could be packed in train coaches and allowed to travel, then there was no harm in throwing open the doors of religious places for devotees.

The third phase of the lockdown ordered in view of the threat from the novel coronavirus would come to an end on May 31. Mamata today said she would urge the Central Government that it too should think about lifting the ban on places of worship.

The Chief Minister also announced that all offices in the state — private as well as government – would open from June 8.

Mamata did not make any announcement regarding malls, restaurants or the Metro and the local train service. She, however, said that city buses would be allowed to ply with maximum passengers as far as the sitting capacity of the vehicle would allow. All passengers must wear masks. Once the seats are full, buses will not take any more passenger.

The Chief Minister said that number of COVID-19 positive patients was going up in the state because of   influx of people from “hotspots” such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.

Mamata alleged that the “Shramik Special” trains coming to the state were overcrowded. She said the Railway Ministry must make available more trains for the service so that the labourers returning home need not travel in crowded coaches.

Travelling in crowded coaches enhanced one’s chance of contracting corona from an infected person, she noted.

Five to six lakh migrant labourers – approximately 75,000 of them by trains and the rest by bus, lorry and other means – have already entered West Bengal, Mamata said. She said she did not try to stop those returning to the state since they were original inhabitants of West Bengal only.

The Chief Minister said local schools have been turned into quarantine centres where people returning from outside are being put up initially. Anyone who does not show any symptom is released after seven days. If one shows any symptom, the person is tested and referred for further treatment if required.