CMYK

03
Shah is making promises galore of creating a ‘Shonar Bangla’, but he is trying to
make the Bengali-speaking people third-class citizens in the name of CAA and NRC
CPI(M) POLITBURO MEMBER MOHAMMAD SALIM
SAYING THAT AMIT SHAH IS ALLEGEDLY INDULGING IN POLITICS WHEN THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE ARE SUFFERING KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 10 JUNE 2020

Sales yet to take

off in malls
KOLKATA, 9 JUNE
The sales in the city's shop-
ping malls in the two days of
reopening remained lack-
lustre even as most of the
shops adopted advance mea-
sures to contain the coron-
avirus while transport woes
continued even today for
commuters who were clear-
ly more in number than the
plying vehicles.
The city's shopping des-
tinations reopened yesterday,
welcoming the visitors with
new norms. Visitors are
allowed at the malls between
11 am and 8 pm. Children
below 10 years of age and
senior citizens above 65
years, however, have been
barred from entering the
malls for now, as they are con-
sidered vulnerable to the
coronavirus disease.
From sanitisation of
hands, thermal screening of
visitors, restricted number of
people using the lifts and esca-
lators, the management of the
shopping hubs followed strin-
gent measures against the
spread of the Covid-19 infes-
tations.
The once-bustling cor-
ridors of the city's shopping
malls wore a rather desert-
ed look with fewer visitors fol-
lowing strict norms of the
Covid-19. According to the
retailers of these malls,
although footfall at some
shopping hubs in two days
has been better than expect-
ed, the sales are far from
being satisfactory.
“A total of 11 customers
visited our store yesterday but
only two of them bought
clothes,” informed the cashier
of an eminent apparel brand
at Quest Mall.
“The scenario is similar
even today with sis cus-
tomers visiting the store but
only one of them purchas-
ing a T-shirt,” he added.
A retailer of an interna-
tional cosmetics brand at
South City Mall said, “The
sales are down by more than
90 percent as compared to
the business done at this
time in previous years.
Even as the footfall is better
than what we had antici-
pated, there are hardly any
buyers.”
Meanwhile, Mr. K Vijayan,
general manager of Acrop-
olis Mall said, “We have
received huge response from
customers on the first day
after lockdown and over
7,000 people visited the
mall.” SNS
‘Mamata will pay for 'Corona Express' remark’
The HM asserted the migrant workers will now ensure the “exit” of the Banerjee government in the 2021 assembly polls
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 9 JUNE
W
est Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata
Banerjee “insult-
ed” migrant work-
ers returning to the state on
'Shramik Special' trains by
calling them 'Corona Express',
Home Minister Amit Shah said
on Tuesday, as he tried to reach
out to the vast constituency of
hapless migrants and their
families. Shah asserted the
migrant workers will now
ensure the “exit” of the Baner-
jee government in the 2021
assembly polls. He also attacked
the ruling TMC supremo over
the “industry of political vio-
lence” being run in the state.
Addressing a virtual rally for
Bengal from the national cap-
ital, Shah, one of the architects
of the Citizenship (Amend-
ment) Act, asserted the peo-
ple of the state will reduce
Banerjee to a “political refugee”
SHAH SPEAK
BJP activists watching Amit Shah’s address during their virtual rally in Kolkata on Tuesday.
� BHASKAR MALLICK
for opposing the new law to
“appease” a minority com-
munity.
“UP received 1,700 trains,
Bihar 1,500. I was stunned
when Mamata didi called
Shramik Special trains coming
to Bengal Corona Express. You
insulted the migrants, you
rubbed salt into their wounds,
and now this Corona Express
will lead you to your exit (from
power). People will not forget
this insult,” he said.
Banerjee had criticised the
railways for running “too many”
Shramik Special trains result-
ing in a surge in the number
of COVID 19 cases and dep-
recatingly called them Coro-
na Express.
“Bengal is the only state in
the entire country where the
culture of political violence is
flourishing. The only industry
that is prospering in Bengal is
of making crude bombs and
illegal weapons. “Bengal is the
only state where communal vio-
lence is still going on. It must
stop. I assure you that BJP
isn't here to bring a revolution
or only to expand its support
base. It is also here to revive Ben-
gal's rich cultural heritage...to
make it 'sonar Bangla' (made
of gold) again,” he told the BJP's
virtual 'Jan Samvad' rally.
The BJP, Shah said, won a
staggering 303 Lok Sabha seats
but he held the 18 it secured
in West Bengal very close to his
heart. “We want this atmos-
phere of terror to go,” the for-
mer BJP president said and
urged people to vote the party
to power in the assembly elec-
tions next year. Harping on the
need for a political change in
the state, Shah said even those
to voted to dislodge the Left
Front government were now
saying the Communist dis-
pensation was better than the
one presided over by Banerjee.
“You gave the Communists
34 years, you gave 10 years to
Didi. Now give a chance to Mod-
Don’t make baseless allegations against WB: TMC to Shah
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 9 JUNE
Mr Derek O'Brien, Trinamul
Rajya Sabha MP and the
party's spokesperson today
slammed the Union Home
Minister, Amit Shah for mak-
ing baseless and false alle-
gations against Bengal.
Mr O'Brien said," Let us
bring Mr Amit Shah from
the virtual world to reality. He
was definitely in the virtual
world or else he should come
out with the truth that how
many CMs were consulted just
before lockdown."
Both Mr O'Brien and Tri-
namul's Diamond Harbour
MP today questioned Mr
iji, and you will see the change.
Bihar, which was once a
Turned away from hospitals, family
of three allegedly commits suicide
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 9 JUNE
Three members of a family are
suspected to have committed
suicide at Thakurpukur after
consuming poison, following
“negligence and harassment
by the city hospitals and police”,
locals alleged.The deceased trio
had been identified as Gobinda
Karmakar (80), his wife Runu
Karmakar (70) and their spe-
cially-abled son Debashis Kar-
makar, police said.
Sources said that the head
of the family, Gobindo, who
used to live with his family at
a single-storey house at Satya-
narayan Pally, was taken ill
recently. His wife was down with
paralysis and was complete-
ly bed-ridden. His only son was
specially- abled. “We have
recovered the bodies of the trio
Shah whether Chinese troops
are still in our territory?
Mr O'Brien said, "It was our
chief minister who first wrote
to 18 other chief ministers of
different states on the migrant
issue. It was Mamata Baner-
jee who first announced free
ration and rupees 10 lakh
insurance coverage for front-
line workers." He also alleged
that Mr Shah gave two days
time to MPs to take flights to
their respective constituen-
cies but he gave only four
hours for migrants to book rail
tickets.
The state finance minis-
ter Amit Mitra said the Cen-
tre still owes Rs 53,000 crores
to West Bengal and asked
'bimaru' (laggard) state, is on
the path of development ever
from their home. Prima facie
it appears that they have com-
mitted suicide as a note was
recovered from the spot. The
investigation is on. The bod-
ies have been sent for autop-
sy,” an officer at Thakurpukur
police station said. The locals,
however, attributed the death
to the alleged “negligency”
perpetrated by the three city
hospitals and the police.
Narrating the incident, one
neighbour said: “First, he was
taken to Vidyasagar hospital
where some of us had accom-
panied him but from there he
was sent away fearing he might
have contracted Covid after
thermal scanning registered
temperature. Then he was
taken to CMCH but here he was
refused admission as thermal
scanning did not register any
temperature and the hospital
that why Mr Amit Shah did
not utter a single word about
this. "We are saying this pub-
licly, we challenge you," Mr
Mitra said.
Mr Mitra alleged that the
Prime Minister is only imi-
tating the Chief Minister of
Bengal. He said this in the con-
text of Ayushman Bharat. Mr
Mitra clarified that in 2016
Mamata Banerjee had intro-
duced Swasthya Sathi scheme
and 7.5 crore people had
benefited under the scheme.
Prime Minister Mr Modi had
introduced Ayushman Bharat
only in late 2018 he added.
He said that imitation is the
best form of flattery.
Mr O'Brien also said to
since the NDA government
took charge. Uttar Pradesh is
felt it was not necessary to admit
him. Then lastly he was taken
to NRS hospital, where he
again was refused admission
on the pretext that there were
no beds. As a result he was left
abandoned by the police at his
home. But despite repeated
requests to the police to help
him getting admission at a hos-
pital, nothing was done.”
“Today, when we did not get
any response despite repeat-
ed knocks on the door, we
moved in. We found Gobindo
lying dead on the floor while
his wife and son were found
dead on the bed. A text writ-
ten with a chalk mentioning
that they are dead was found
inscibed on the floor. Police have
recoverd the body,” the neigh-
bour added. “We are awaiting
autopsy report,” said DC South
West division.
reach the level of Mamata
Banerjee, Mr Shah will have
to visit markets, meet people
on the streets and stand by
the people during their dis-
tress.
Mr Dinesh Trivedi, Rajya
Sabha MP said, "I feel this is
not the time for politics. In
these hard times, we should
not have to come out and give
clarifications to jumlas of
the BJP."
He slammed Mr Shah and
said that whatever Mr Shah
said there were hardly any
facts. The main issue should
be the pandemic and the
devastation caused in Ben-
gal by the recent Amphan, he
added.
moving ahead in just three
years,” Shah said.
CBI officer tests
positive for
Covid-19
NEW DELHI, 9 JUNE
A senior officer of the CBI in
the Kolkata unit tested pos-
itive for Covid-19, officials said
Tuesday.
The officer, who is in a
supervisory role looking after
anti-corruption cases of the
CBI's Kolkata unit has become
first such case among senior
officers of the probe agency,
they said. Sources in the
agency said all possible med-
ical help has been extended
to the family. India has
become fifth worst-hit nation
by the COVID-19 pandemic
after the US, Brazil, Russia and
the UK, according to the
Johns Hopkins University
data. The country has regis-
tered over 9,000 corona virus
infection cases for the sixth
day in a row. PTI

Covid deaths: Nearly 66 per cent had co-morbidities

STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 9 JUNE
The health department led by
the chief minister Miss Mama-
ta Banerjee brought back the
theory of comorbidities in
Covid-19 death figures in the
state after a gap of about
more than one and a half
months.
In a data prepared by
Swasthya Bhaban, health
department headquarters at
Salt Lake, on Monday claimed
that 65.6 per cent patients of
Covid deaths had comor-
bidities like hypertension,
diabetes, cardiac ailments,
chronic renal problems, chron-
ic obstructive pulmonary dis-
ease (COPD) etc.
While rest 34.4 per cent of
total deaths were active coro-
navirus patients.
With nine more deaths in
24 hours till 9 am on Monday,
With nine more deaths
in 24 hours till 9 am on
Monday, Bengal’s toll
of 405 included 260
casualties from the
city. The only other
districts with a dou-
ble-digit death toll are
North 24-Parganas,
with 58, and Howrah,
with 50
Bengal’s toll of 405 included
260 casualties from the city.
The only other districts
with a double-digit death toll
are North 24-Parganas, with
58, and Howrah, with 50.
With the allegations of
data-fudging against the state
government by the opposition
parties, the health depart-
ment had stopped the prac-
tice of reporting comorbid
deaths on and from 30
April.
Since then the state sec-
retariat Nabanna released
figures of novel coronavirus
deaths without mentioning
anything about comorbidities
in the deceased.
An expert committee
formed by the state govern-
ment to audit Covid
deaths also became non-
functional.
On Monday, the state health
department also furnished
gender and age comorbid
analyses of death numbers.
The data said the death rate
stood at 5.4 per cent for Covid-
19 positive women and 4.48
per cent for infected men.
Of those infected with the
killer disease, those above
the age of 75 accounted for the
highest death rate, at 21.07 per
cent. The death rate for those
between 60 and 75 years stood
at 15.39 and for those between
45 and 60, at 7.03. The 0-16 age
group recorded a death rate
of 0.69, 16-30 recorded 0.17,
and 30-45 reported 1.67 per
cent.
The department stated
hypertension was the most
common comorbidity fol-
lowed by diabetes and cardiac
disease. Others included
chronic kidney disease, chron-
ic obstructive pulmonary dis-
ease, malignancy and “on
dialysis”.
The data also showed
hypertension was present in
27 per cent of the deceased
men and 29 per cent of the
deceased women. Diabetes
was present in 19 per cent of
the deceased men and 20 per
cent of the deceased women.
19 per cent of the deceased
men and 18 per cent of the
deceased women had car-
diac ailments.

Bengal: Only asymptomatic employees

shall be allowed to attend office
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 9 JUNE
Officers/staff will disinfect
their personal equipments
like keyboards, mouse, phone,
AC and remote themselves as
frequently as possible.
Arrangements shall be
made for disinfection of fre-
quently touched places such
as electric switches, door
knobs, washroom fixtures,
elevator switches. Arrange-
ments should also be made
for total sanitization of the
entire office premises at reg-
ular intervals.
Face to face meetings and
discussions should be avoid-
ed as far as possible. Officers
and staff will use intercom or
phone for interactions.
In the lifts meant for com-
mon use, not more than three
persons shall be allowed to
Face to face meetings
and discussions
should be avoided
as far as possible.
Officers and staff will
use intercom or phone
for interactions
enter at a time. In the last 24
hours, 372 fresh Corona cases
was detected in the state with
Kolkata alone recording 132
cases. The total Coronavirus
cases in Bengal is 8985 while
in Kolkata it is 3018.
Ten people died due to
Corona since yesterday tak-
ing the death toll to 415. There
are currently 4950 active cases
in the state.
With drivers of four senior
officials of Nabanna being
detected Corona positive,
state administration today
revised the parking system as
per social distancing norms
at the state secretariat. Under
the new system, chief minis-
ter Mamata Banerjee’s vehi-
cle will be the sole car to be
parked in the ‘underground
parking slot’ which earlier
used to accommodate the
cars of state chief secretary and
home secretary as well.
A high level multi-disci-
plinary Central team today
called upon senior state offi-
cials to help the state gov-
ernment in management of
Covid-19.
The Health Ministry has
deployed the team to Bengal
along with 14 other states
that have high spurt of cases
in more than 50 districts or
municipalities. The three-
member team comprising
two public health experts and
a senior joinct secretary-level
nodal officer for administra-
tive handholding and improv-
ing governance held a meet-
ing with state chief secretary
Rajiva Sinha and other senior
bureaucrats.
Meanwhile, the state gov-
ernment has set up a ‘State
Workforce Tracker’ or Karma
Bhoomi portal for IT profes-
sionals who are looking for a
job change post Covid-19 sit-
uation. A senior official said
that IT professionals who
have either lost their job due
to the lockdown can approach
the state government by enter-
ing their details in the portal.
Taking to Twitter,
Miss Banerjee wrote: “On
behalf of GoWB, we launched
Karmo Bhumi, web portal
for IT professionals, returned
& looking for job change due
to Covid 19 . Connect now to
IT companies of Bengal
through
https://t.co/cmDB1TEPz0. My
best wishes to everyone.”

CMYK