‘Centre Cannot Alone Decide on Lockdown,’ Hits Out Mamata Banerjee, Postpones Kolkata Metro Reopening – India.com

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday postponed the reopening of Kolkata metro to September 15, tentatively, in view of the delicate situation of coronavirus pandemic ‌in the state. Metro rail services were initially scheduled to resume from September 8 in the West Bengal capital as part of Centre’s ‘Unlock 4’ guidelines. Also Read – East Bengal to Play in Indian Super League 2020: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

Addressing a press briefing, the chief minister said that the Chief Secretary and their office are working on executing the exact logistics for a final call on whether to start metro services by the 15th of this month. Also Read – ‘Betrayal of Trust’: Mamata Banerjee, Other Chief Ministers Write to PM Modi Over GST Compensation

“Centre alone can’t decide on lockdown in states. The state govt is the implementing authority & must be trusted. Only issuing directives isn’t enough. A district administration knows ground realities. It is the basis of our federalism so all must cooperate,” Banerjee slammed the Union government for instructing states against issuing separate lockdown rules. Also Read – What’s Happening? Now ‘Shinchan’ Tops Merit List in Bengal College After Sunny Leone & Neha Kakkar

Mamata Banerjee also highlighted that 75 per cent of the state’s candidates could not take JEE on Tuesday while only half of them managed to turn up in exam centres in other states due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation.

She said that her government had made all the arrangements for the students, but only 1,167 wrote the test though 4,652 candidates were scheduled to appear for the exam.

Notably, West Bengal will observe a bi-weekly complete lockdown in the month of September. So far, the government has announced September 7, 11 and 12 as lockdown dates, and will review the situation after September 20. Meanwhile, a partial lockdown would continue till September 20 across the state.

Additionally, Banerjee allowed flight resumption three days a week from the six banned hotspot cities. She had said earlier that both Kolkata Metro service and local trains can start operation maintaining physical distancing protocols.