West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that her government will consider reopening schools for primary students (Class 1 to 5) with 50% capacity if “Covid does not create more problems”.
Her statement came a day after the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that after Omicron, more coronavirus mutations may emerge.
Speaking at an event at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, Banerjee said, “Students in Class 5 to 7 are attending physical classes through Paray Sikshalaya (open air, neighbourhood classes) initiative. If the Covid-19 situation does not create more problems or other variants don’t hit the state, we can think of reopening schools for the primary section with 50 per cent attendance. We have to hold talks with schools to see if this is feasible. If 50% students come to schools on Monday, the rest can come the next day. This will ensure that students in primary section attend physical classes.”
The state government reopened schools for students of Class 8 to 12 on February 3 after a gap of one month. For Class 1 to 7 students, government schools have been holding open air session under the Paray Shikshalaya initiative while private schools are yet to follow suit.
Meanwhile, she attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “eroding” Hinduism in the country while he poses as a “sadhu” to seek votes during elections. “They are destroying everything in the country. They are rewriting our history, and Dalits and Adivasis are being tortured. The real Hinduism is not being followed but when election comes, he (PM Modi) becomes a sadhu (seer),” Banerjee said.
On the hologram statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate, the chief minister said, “They removed Amar Jawan Jyoti in Delhi first and the put Netaji’s hologram at India Gate. Now the hologram has also gone missing. They only remember the country’s icons only during elections.”
Banerjee also raised questions on the PM Cares Fund. “So many people died due to Covid and you have no shame. People are suffering and looking for relief. Where is the fund of PM Cares? What happened to lakhs and crores of rupees?” Banerjee asked.
The chief minister on Thursday handed over 2,000 freehold title deeds to refugee families and assured that all land occupied by such people in West Bengal will be regularised. She asserted that no refugee, including Matuas (a Scheduled Caste Namasudra community which migrated to India during Partition and after the Bangladesh war of 1971) will be deprived of freehold deeds for his land and not a single refugee family possessing land deed will be evicted.
“At least 261 refugee colonies have been regularised. In last three years 27,000 pattas (deeds) have been distributed benefitting over 52,000 people. I would like to congratulate you (refugee families). This is your right towards your land. All the refugee colonies in the state have been legally regularised and nobody will be evicted from those places. The freehold title deeds for the lands will be distributed from time to time,” Banerjee said at the deed distribution programme at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium. She added that her government has brought a law to ensure that no refugee can be evicted from land belonging to the Indian Railways or any other organisation or authority that comes under the central government.
“We have also directed that the refugees staying on private land for quite some time will not be evicted. Not a single refugee will be left out. He or she will get unconditional deed for the land. They include the Matuas. They will also get deeds for their land. We will not allow anybody to evict them. There are some who have exploited the community for political reasons,” she said.
Baneejee informed that three permanent housing projects have come up for refugees at Chitmahal in Mekhliganj, Haldibari and Dinhata in Cooch Behar district.