Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee on Tuesday asked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrange more sanitisers at market places across the state and to conduct rapid testing to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.
Banerjee, who spoke to the chief minister early in the morning, said: “I think India, particularly Bengal, should follow Korea and Taiwan where they eradicated the virus at market places by using masks and sanitsiers. I would be happy if Bengal could do it.”
Banerjee, who is heading the global advisory board set up by the chief minister to advise her on the COVID-19 crisis, presently works from home due to lockdown.
The economist asked Mamata to set up a chief minister’s fund to receive donations from the public.
“If you require to buy sanitsers and masks, you may create a special fund where people can donate wholeheartedly, and they should do that,” he said in the video message, circulated to media on Tuesday.
Banerjee also urged the chief minister to conduct rapid testing in West Bengal.
“I can tell you, there is a chance of this virus could resurface. We must be very alert. We may have to take care a large number of people who are suddenly found coughing. The government should keep an eye on such locations in the state and conduct rapid testing. I think rapid testing is something through which one could keep a tag on this pandemic virus,” Banerjee said.
The chief minister, however, said she already had a fund for accepting donation but the state did not have big industrialists.
“You know our state. We don’t have too many big industrialists who could donate thousands of crores. Here people are giving maximum Rs 5 crore. But we are trying our level best,” Mamata told Banerjee.
Mamata on Tuesday relaxed the lockdown for essential services but with strict vigil of police department. She said the government would help bidi workers to deliver bidi at home.
“They can make bidi at home and one or two persons can deliver them door-to-door. Our police department would keep a strong vigil on that,” said Mamata.
She said West Bengal is creating safe houses for migrant labourers who would be coming home after the lock down is withdrawn.
“They would have to be quarantined for a few days. We will put them in safe houses,” said she, adding that many chief ministers have assured her that migrant labourers stuck in their states were being taken care of.