The Bengal government has announced complete lockdown in Siliguri, Raiganj, Malda, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Barasat in North 24-Parganas from Wednesday because of rising Covid-19 cases.
Home secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay issued an order on Tuesday on the lockdown, but it didn’t mention the number of days during which the restrictions would be in force.
“Covid-19 cases are steadily rising at the five towns in north Bengal. Earlier, containment zones were marked and the lockdown was enforced there. Even then, the number of Covid-19 cases continued to climb. That is why the lockdown decision was taken,” said a source at Nabanna.
Bandyopadhyay’s order also said the containment zones in the state would remain so till July 19.
Around 750 Covid-19 cases have been reported in Siliguri so far, while the number crossed the 1,000 mark in Malda district. Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Raiganj towns also recorded high number of coronavirus patients.
“The lockdown would be enforced in civic areas rigorously. All necessary instructions have been passed to the administrations in the respective districts,” the source said.
The announcement comes just a day after an apex body of over 120 trade bodies in north Bengal sent a letter to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking complete lockdown in Siliguri for two weeks.
They even hinted that if the state did not come up with a decision, they themselves would go in for a complete shutdown of business activities to contain the pandemic.
“The steep rise in the number of coronavirus cases in Siliguri had made us write to the chief minister. We thank her and the state government for understanding the gravity of the situation and taking such a decision. It is true that business activities would be affected but the step was necessary to ensure that the situation does not spin out of control,” said Surajit Paul, convener, Eastern ABC Chamber of Commerce & Industries.
Jalpaiguri district magistrate Abhishek Tiwary said: “We asked police and the civic body to make public announcements on the lockdown.”
