COVID-19: Two inter-ministerial Central teams to assess ground situation in worst-hit Maharashtra

Maharashtra being the worst hit from COVID-19 with maximum number of positive cases, the Union Home Ministry will assess the situation there by sending two 5-member teams to the State. These teams will assess the ground situation and submit a report to the Central Government.

Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken twice in the last seven days to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over two issues -- gathering of migrants in Bandra, Mumbai, and Palghar lynching issue where State government claims that over 100 people have been arrested in the matter wherein three people were killed by a mob.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in its order of sending Inter-ministerial Central Teams (IMCT) has said that additional secretaries Sanjay Malhotra, Ministry of Power and Manoj Joshi Ministry of food processing industries will lead two teams who will assess the situation in the State.

"Whereas, in some of the districts of the country a number of violations to the lockdown measures have been reported posing a serious health hazard and risk for spread of COVID-19 which is against general interest of public. These violations inter alia are of the following types: incidents of violence on frontline healthcare professionals: complete violations of social distancing norms outside banks, PDS shops etc, and in market places: movement of private and commercial vehicles, passengers in urban areas; and so on," MHA says in its order while giving reasons of sending teams.

The Home Ministry has also said that these incidents, if they are allowed to occur without any restraining measures in hotspot districts or emerging hotspots, with large outbreaks or clusters, pose a serious health hazard, both for the population of these districts and for those living in other areas of the country.

"After analyzing the prevalence of such violations in major hotspot districts, it is clear to the Central Government that the situation is especially serious in Mumbai and Pune districts in the State of Maharashtra. Whereas, the Central Government, in exercise of the conferred inter alia, under Section 35(1), 35(2)(a), 35(2)(e) and 35(2)(i) of the Disaster Act 2005, hereby constitute 2 Inter-Ministerial Central Teams, which will visit the Mumbai and Pune districts in the State of Maharashtra, make an on spot assessment of the situation, issue necessary directions to the State authorities for redressal of the situation and submit their report to the Central Government in the larger interest of general public," MHA said.

The Centre has constituted six Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs), two each for West Bengal and Maharashtra and one each for Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan "to make on-spot assessment of situation and issue necessary directions to state authorities for its redressal and submit their report to Central Government in larger interest of general public, the Home Ministry said on Monday.

( With inputs from ANI )

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