June 26, 2020
From July 1, State Govt to give Rs 15,000 per month to each of 6,000 buses for 3 months: Mamata Banerjee
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today held a press conference at Nabanna, taking along several senior officials. She expressed her deep displeasure at some recent incidents of members of some political parties destroying public properties.
To combat the coronavirus, she once again reminded the people to have proper diets, and follow all laid down guidelines regarding using sanitisers and maintaining social distance.
Regarding the test for COVID-19 at private hospitals, the chief minister announced that the cost has been brought down to Rs 2,500 from Rs 4,500. Private hospitals will charge Rs 1,000 per day on the bills of patients as charge for PPEs, and the consultation fee for doctors for admitted patients has been brought down from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1,000 per session.
Highlights of her press conference:
Metro trains may be given permission to start from July 1, provided proper sanitisation is done and the number of passengers allowed is only as per the number of seats.
We are indebted to the people, and hence we have to solve their problems. Therefore, to ensure that minibuses and private can run, the State Government has decided to give, from July 1, Rs 15,000 per month to each of the 6,000 buses for three months. The total amount the government would have to spend in lieu of this subsidy is Rs 27 crore.
Why are members of some parties breaking public properties? It has just become a habit for some. Let us all work together. Why would there be bike rallies if no festivals are being allowed to celebrate?
If I can sacrifice even the annual July 21 celebrations of Trinamool Congress, the other parties too need to sacrifice their celebrations.
For 15 continuous days, the Centre has been increasing the costs of petrol and diesel. People have no money to spend, and on top of that, this.
All drivers and conductors of buses would be brought under the coverage of the Swasthya Sathi health insurance scheme.
From July 1, Christian Medical College, Vellore and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where many patients from Bangla go for treatments, would be added to the list of empanelled hospitals under Swasthya Sathi.
The State Government will bring out an app for the common people.
Despite being seen that the number of coronavirus infections are increasing even after lockdown, the Central Government is starting train services. No protocols are being adhered to in planes and trains. How much can we control? Our concerns are being neglected. Hence I would request the Centre to at least not allow foreign flights for now.
Many of the people who came to Kolkata on a flight from Chennai turned out to be COVID-19 patients. Let there be no flights from places which have a high number of cases.
Lockdown will be in place from 10 pm to 5 am.
I would request everyone to have proper diets, use hand sanitisers, follow the rules of social distancing. Measures will be taken against those breaking the law.
Five hundred more buses would hit the roads from July 1.
Schools cannot increase fees. Neither can they charge extra for computer classes, libraries and sports facilities.
Today, I inaugurated a lot of schemes for the welfare of minorities. The concerned department has been allocated Rs 4,016 crore. Scholarships worth Rs 2.38 crore in total would be given to students. Rs 551 crore for a new campus of Aliah University. Minority Bhawans have been constructed in every district. Our State Government has helped 85,000 people complete Haj. A Haj House has been built in New Town at a cost of Rs 107 crore. More than 6,000 burial grounds have been set up. The State Government has helped 97 per cent of the people belonging to various minority communities.
We have helped 8.30 lakh youths through the Aikyashree Scheme. We have helped set up 523 hostels, eight polytechnic colleges and 39 industrial training institutes (ITIs).
We have started the Jai Bangla and Jai Johar pension schemes, with more than 60,000 senior citizens being provided pension through the latter.
We are capable of running our own developmental schemes, we won’t bow before the Centre.
Regarding the test for COVID-19 at private hospitals, the chief minister announced that the cost has been brought down to Rs 2,500 from Rs 4,500. Private hospitals will charge Rs 1,000 per day on the bills of patients as charge for PPEs, and the consultation fee for doctors for admitted patients has been brought down from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1,000 per session. The other rates too would be reduced soon. We have set up a team of experts to look into issues related to the charges for various facilities provided by private hospitals.
