The dengue-situation is heating up West Bengal’s politics, an apparent reflection of the uneasy situation being faced by the people in parts of the state, including Kolkata.
A day after the state government cancelled leave of staff, and officials associated with dengue management across the state till the situation improves, a group of BJP MLAs huddled at the gate of Swasthya Bhawan, that houses state health department’s office, to present a memorandum to the health secretary.
BJP Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari along with other party MLAs were prevented from entering the premises as a group, by police. Adhikari didn’t go in alone, or with two other representatives, given a choice.
The leader, later, alleged that precautionary measures against dengue are usually taken in March-April, and there’s a task force to look into the issue.
“The home (police) minister of West Bengal is busy saving the health minister of West Bengal, as the dengue menace in the state spirals out of control. Incidentally both the portfolios are held by CM Mamata Banerjee,” he tweeted.
The memorandum, submitted later via email, to health minister (CM Banerjee) through the principal secretary, health & family welfare department, with 24 signatures, stated that “around 38,000 dengue cases have been reported this season in West Bengal until September 20 with Kolkata and districts in the southern part of the state being the worst hit”.
The memorandum added: “The Union minister of state for health and family welfare Shri Bharati Pravin Pawar ji has recently alleged that the West Bengal government has not been sharing data about dengue cases in the state with the Centre for its vector-borne disease control programme.” The memorandum demanded that certain details concerning dengue be made public.
On Monday, the state’s Chief Secretary held a meeting with the senior officials. Holding of meetings by district magistrates with councillors of affected urban local bodies, intensive cleaning activities, orientation of newly elected members of the panchayats, legal actions against property owners who don’t comply with dengue preventive measures, visits by district observer teams for proper management of dengue cases in private and public hospitals, were among several measures that were decided in the meeting.
“Leave of all the officials/staff associated with dengue management throughout the state will remain cancelled till the situation improves,” an official release added.