The Centre on Monday constituted 6 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 arising during lockdown due to Covid-19 and issue necessary directions to State Authorities. IMCTs will focus on complaints of implementation of lockdown measures as per guidelines, supply of essential commodities, social distancing, preparedness of health infrastructure, safety of health professionals and conditions of the relief camps for labour and poor people.
After analyzing the prevalence of violations in major hotspot districts, Central Government said that the situation is especially serious in Indore (MP), Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Kolkata, Howrah, Medinipur East, 24 Parganas North, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal and expertise of the Centre is required in these areas.
The Committees have been constituted by the Central Government in exercise of the powers, conferred, inter alia, under Section 35(1), 35(2)(a), 35(2)(e) and 35(2)(i) of the Disaster Management Act 2005. It is reiterated that in the Orders on lockdown measures, as well as in the Guidelines/ Consolidated Revised Guidelines, strict implementation of the lockdown and other measures has been stressed; and Governments of States! UTs have also been advised that while they can impose stricter measures than contemplated in these Guidelines, they shall not dilute these Guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
