Mamata Banerjee orders extension of lockdown in West Bengal till July 31
Kolkata: Amid spiralling COVID-19 cases in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced extension of the lockdown till July 31 with continuance of the existing relaxations.
The ongoing lockdown was to end on June 30.
West Bengal's tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 15,173 with 445 fresh infections on Wednesday, while the death toll rose to 591 as 11 more people succumbed to the disease, health department officials said.
Banerjee told reporters after an all-party meeting that though the participants differed over ways to tackle the pandemic, a consensus emerged that the lockdown should be extended with relaxations.
While there will be complete lockdown in containment zones, relaxations will continue elsewhere. Banerjee said all educational institutions will remain closed till July 31.
Government offices will function in a "segregated manner" with 70 per cent attendance on any given day. Metro and suburban train services will remain suspended.
Shopping malls, restaurants and other similar establishments had resumed operations in Bengal on June 8 after a gap of over two months, with the state government allowing relaxations as part of 'Unlock-1' -- the first phase of a calibrated exit from the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown.
Places of worship and private offices were also allowed to open with reduced attendance.
"Today, we have discussed the lockdown issue. Though there are different opinions among the people like (CPI-M's) Surya Kanta Mishra and others, I have told leaders of the political parties present here about our view to extend the lockdown.
"Finally, at the end of the meeting, we are saying that since the COVID-19 is increasing in the entire country, it's our responsibility to help improve the situation... So let us come together and extend the lockdown (while) maintaining the relaxations," Banerjee said.
Senior leaders of all political parties and state assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee were present at the meeting.
The Trinamool Congress supremo had called the all-party meeting to deliberate on the COVID-19 scenario in the state and the situation in areas affected by Cyclone Amphan.
Banerjee said in order to take stock of the post-cyclone situation, an expert committee with representatives from all political parties in the state has been constituted.
The committee, headed by West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, will include BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty and Congress' Pradeep Bhattcherjee among others.
"The panel will also review the situation in Sunderbans and propose a master plan to the Niti Aayog on a permanent solution to tackle natural disasters in the area," she said.
Banerjee said another all-party resolution will be taken up against the central government's decision to exclude the state from the 'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana'.
Referring to irregularities in the distribution of relief material to those affected by Cyclone Amphan, the chief minister said, "There have been such instances. But, I want to stress that the administration will not tolerate this. We will not allow anybody to take advantage of his political affiliation."
"I have received 2,100 complaints. I entrust the DMs and the BDOs (with the task) to find out the genuine cases and help them," she said.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
