Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a discussion with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and lauded key measures taken by the state to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
Mamata, in her briefing, said that Bengal had been put under complete lockdown and the government is working around-the-clock to ensure the supply chain of essential commodities and services reaches the people. Other efforts such as setting up of quarantine facilities and preparing for a larger outbreak are being also being conducted.
After listening to the preparedness, Modi appreciated the state’s initiatives and assured the state of all kinds of help.
Following the phone conversation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also extended assistance in crisis response to the Bengal chief minister.
Shah thanked her for successfully maintaining the lockdown and said additional paramilitary forces would be deployed if needed in providing emergency services.
Hours after the talks concluded, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday tweeted, “We are locked down, but not bogged down,” stating emergency response to battle the spread of the virus were deployed.
“Our aviation officials & professionals are working round the clock with determination & patience. The aircraft are crisscrossing the skies to ensure that ICMR kits for testing Covid19 reach on time. The first flight on Friday morning has already delivered 1.4 tonnes of ICMR kits from Delhi to Aizwal, Kolkata & Hyderabad while another such movement of ICMR kits is in progress from Mumbai to Pune, Bengaluru & Thiruvananthapuram,” his tweet read.
For intra-regional movements in the northeastern region, an extensive helicopter network has been kept on alert. “Our network can be activated if private agencies are interested in moving medical kits/equipment,” Puri said.
Comments
0 comment