The Union home ministry told Calcutta High Court on Tuesday that one of its teams was prepared to visit Bengal to inspect the Covid-19 situation in the state.

Hearing a writ petition alleging the mismanagement of Covid-19 situation in the state, the high court said that if any team from the home ministry would visit the state, it would be on its own volition and not pursuant to any order of the court.

The court directed the Union home ministry and the Bengal government to file reports on averments made in a writ petition alleging mismanagement of the Covid-19 situation in the state by the administration.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice T.B.N. Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee directed that the reports be placed before it on or before the next date of hearing on May 26.

Petitioner Kabir Shankar Bose alleged in the writ petition that the Covid-19 situation has been mismanaged by the state administration in Bengal.

Y.J. Dastoor, senior advocate appearing for the home ministry, submitted that a team from the ministry was prepared to visit Bengal, inspect the situation and file a report before the court.

Opposing him, state advocate-general Kishore Dutta submitted that earlier a central team had visited Bengal and had spent several weeks inspecting various areas and that sufficient material was gathered by the team.

He submitted that no further visit by any central team was necessary and that any further visit by a central team would, in effect, be a roving inquiry only to find fault with the state administration.

In response, Dastoor submitted that the earlier central team was an inter-ministerial team and now it will be a team consisting of members from the home only.

The division bench directed that since the home ministry offered to file a report in response to the claims made in the writ petition, 'let such a report be filed on or before the next date of hearing'.

The state government will also file a report in response to the averments made in the writ petition.

'We clarify that if any team from the ministry of home affairs visits this state, the same shall be on its own volition and not pursuant to any order of this court,' the division bench said.

Court seeks Bengal govt's reply over distribution of foodgrains

Calcutta High Court directed the Bengal food and supplies secretary to file an affidavit by Friday on allegations of inadequate distribution of foodgrains leading to difficulty to a large number of people of the state.

The petitioner prayed for an interim order before a division bench comprising Chief Justice T.B.N. Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee to ensure that all the people in the state get foodgrains amid the lockdown.