COVID-19: Centre dispatches Inter-Ministerial Central Teams to four states for an on-the-spot spot assessment of the situation in districts 

THE Union Home Ministry today issued an order deputing Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCT) to visit Jaipur (Rajasthan), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Kolkata, Howrah, Medinipur East, 24 Parganas North, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri districts in West Bengal and Pune and Mumbai in Maharashtra to make an on-spot assessment of the situation, issue necessary direction to the State Authorities for redressal of the situation and submit their a report to the Centre in the larger interest of the general public.

In addition, IMCT would focus their assessment on the compliance and implementation of Lockdown measures as per guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005; they would also focus on the issues like the supply of essential commodities, social distancing in the movement of people outside their homes, the preparedness of health infrastructure, hospital facilities and sample statistics in the District, the safety of health professionals, availability of test kits, PPEs, masks and other safety equipment and conditions of the relief camps for labour and poor people.

The order issued by MHA also noted that in some of the districts of the country, a number of violations to the lockdown measures have been reported, posing a serious health hazard and risk of spread of Covid19, which is against the general interest of public; these violations are inter alia, of the following types- Incidents of violence on frontline healthcare professionals; complete violations of social distancing norms outside banks, PDS shops etc., and in market places; the movement of private and commercial vehicles with passengers in urban areas; and so on.

The order has been passed under Section 35(1), 35(2)(a), 35(2e) and 35(2)(i) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The IMCT would commence its visit at the earliest and not later than 3 days from the issuing of the order. The Team leader will decide the duration of the visit after making an assessment of the ground-level situation. 

Reacting to the Centre's decision to deploy IMCT in select districts across India including few in West Bengal, the Chief Minister of WB Mamata Banerjee said the basis on which Centre is proposing to deploy IMCT is unclear. She urged the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to share the criterion used for this. 

"Until then I am afraid, we would not be able to move ahead on this as without valid reasons this might not be consistent with the spirit of federalism", said Banerjee.

Composition of IMCT for Jaipur (Rajasthan)

• Sanjiv Kaushik: Additional Secretary, Department of Financial Services
• Dr. (Prof.) Harshal Salve: Community Medicine, AIIMS
• Bindu Tewari:  Director, Ministry of Health & Family Affairs
• S K Jena:  Joint Director, NDMA
• Davendra S Uikey:  Deputy Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution   

Composition of IMCT for Indore (Madhya Pradesh)

• Abhilaksh Likhi: Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture. 
• Dr. (Prof) Jugal Kishore:  HoD Community Medicine, VMMC
• Dr Anil Ranga:  Director Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 
• Nawal Prakash:  Joint Advisor, NDMA
• Simerjit Kaur:  Director, Department of Food and Public Distribution   

Composition of ICMT for Kolkata, Howrah, 24 Parganas North and Medinapur

• Apurva Chandra:  Additional Secretary, Department of Defence
• Ramesh Kumar Ganta: Joint Secretary NDMA
• Dr. (Prof.) R R Pati: Prof and Public Health Specialist, AIIH & PH
• Sitaram Meena: Director, Department of Consumer Affairs
• Zile Singh Vical:  Deputy Secretary Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Composition of ICMT for Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong

• Vineet Joshi:  Additional Secretary, HRD
• Dr. (Prof) Shibani Dutta: Public Health, AIIH & PM
• Brig Ajay Gangwar:  Advisor (Ops) NDMA
• Dharmesh Makwana:  Director, Department of Consumer Affairs.
• N B Mani, deputy secretary: Ministry of Health and Family welfare. 

Composition of IMCT for Mumbai (Maharashtra)

• Manoj Joshi: Additional Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing 
• Dr. S D Khaparde, Advisor, Public Health, Dte. GHS
• Dr. Nagresh Kumar Singh, Director, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• Abhay Kumar, Director, Department of Consumer Affairs 
• Anurag Rana, Joint Director, NDMA

Composition of IMCT for Pune (Maharashtra)

• Dr. P K Sen, Additional DG, Dte. GHS
• Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh, Joint Director NDMA
• Dr. Ashish V Gawai, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• Karamvir Singh, Director, Department of Food and Public Distribution

Read the order here, here, here and here