Metro services in Kolkata to resume, flights from COVID hotspots to operate thrice a week from September: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the current lockdown measures, in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic, will remain in place in the state till September 20. However, she also announced a series of relaxations such as the resumption of Metro services, flights from six COVID hotspot states, among others.

She also said that there would be a complete lockdown on September 7, 11 and 12. After a Cabinet meeting, Banerjee said that the Metro rail services in Kolkata can resume by observing social distancing and other precautionary norms.

The Chief Minister further added, "Schools, colleges and other educational institutes would remain closed in the state till September 20." 

Announcing a series of relaxations, she also allowed resumption of flight operations from six COVID hotspot states but extended the closure of educational institutes till September 20.

She said, "We have received several requests to resume flight operations from six COVID hotspot states. So from September 1, flight services from these six states can resume thrice a week." 

The West Bengal government had imposed a ban till August 31 on passenger flights to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Nagpur, and Ahmedabad in order to contain the spread of coronavirus.

She also demanded that the Centre distribute money from PM CARES fund to states to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Taking part in a discussion through video conferencing with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and chief ministers of some opposition ruled states earlier in the day, she also talked about pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) dues of West Bengal.

Banerjee said, "We had to get Rs 4,100 crore in May, June, but we have not received it. So how do we run the government? The pandemic is ongoing, and we are not getting a single paisa... I can tell our state stands to get Rs 53,000 crore from the Centre." 

The West Bengal Chief Minister said the state governments have to provide free of cost treatment, medicines, ventilators, ambulances to the people but claimed they were not getting anything from the Centre.

"We are trying our best, but it has become very difficult to pay the salaries to workers. No funds are available, the unorganised sector, MSMEs, farmers are suffering a lot," she said, adding that in India "there is an acute crisis and we cannot speak about it freely, the media also cannot speak."  

On Tuesday, the COVID-19 death toll in West Bengal mounted to 2,909 after 58 more people succumbed to the disease. According to the state health department bulletin, coronavirus tally rose to 1,44,801 after 2,964 new infections were reported.

So far, 1,14,543 people have been cured of the disease in the state, it added, adding that the number of active cases stood at 27,349.

North 24 Parganas district accounted for the highest 18 fatalities, followed by Kolkata (16) and South 24 Parganas (six). The remaining 18 deaths were recorded in several other districts, the bulletin said.

The 2,964 new cases reported on Tuesday include 590 from North 24 Parganas, 541 from Kolkata, 195 from Paschim Medinipur, and 134 from Howrah.