Places of worship to open from June 1; private, govt offices with ‘full strength’ from June 8 in West Bengal

The tea and jute industry will also open from June 8 with 100 per cent workers.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday – two days before the lockdown 4.0 to end — said that all places of worship in the state will open from June 1.

As per her announcement, not more than 10 people will be allowed to enter the religious place and congregations or functions will not be allowed.

“Temples, mosques, gurdwaras, churches, all will open, but not more than 10 people will be allowed, there will be no assembly at religious places. This will be implemented from 1st June,” she said in an online press conference.

CM also launched a sharp attack at the centre during the online press conference for running migrant special trains.

“They are stuffing the Shramik trains full of people, there is no social distancing, no food, no water, nothing. What are they trying to do? Are they running Shramik trains or are they trying to run Corona Express?” West Bengal CM said.

She said the railway ministry could easily increase the number of coaches in the trains to prevent crowding. Citing herself being as the rail minister, she asserted that the railways has enough number of rakes to make the trains longer and stop crowding.

“If such trains could run in the lockdown, religious places that had been shut and neglected for two months could open too,” she said.

“West Bengal was successful in controlling the COVID-19 spread in the last two months. Cases are increasing now as people are coming from outside,” she added.

The tea and jute industry will also open from June 8 with 100 per cent workers, Mamata Banerjee said. All government and private offices will open with full strength.

After the announcement of lockdown on March 25, all the places of worship were shut and continued in the extended versions as well.

Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the lockdown strategy as India saw its biggest spike in Coronavirus cases with 7,466 infections in 24 hours.

His meeting with the Prime Minister comes a day after Shah on Thursday evening asked Chief Ministers for feedback on the lockdown and their views on whether to extend it after May 31.