Bengal govt suspends interstate bus services till March 31

Amid the spurt in Covid-19 cases, the Mamata Banerjee government sought to isolate West Bengal from other parts of the country, as it stopped inter- state bus services starting from Sunday.

All passenger train services have also been suspended in the country till March 31, a day after West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha wrote to the Railway Board chairman requesting him to ensure that no trains from outside enter the state from the midnight of March 22.

A PIB release said bare minimum number of suburban trains and Kolkata Metro trains will be operational till Sunday night.

Departure and arrival of all inter-state buses are being been stopped from Sunday, West Bengal Transport secretary N S Nigam said.

 

Inter-state buses originating in the neighbouring states shall not be allowed to enter West Bengal with immediate effect till March 31, an order issued by the transport department said.

"Considering the emergent situation developing due to spread of Novel Coronavirus, all inter-state bus operations originating from this state shall remain suspended till March 31," it said.

A special train from Mumbai, however, arrived at Howrah on Sunday morning with around 1,000 passengers onboard, railway sources said.

All of them were screened by medical officers at the Howrah station, they said.

The special train arrived at the New Complex of Howrah station at 7.22 am, the sources said,insisting that the passengers were cordoned off by RPF and GRP personnel.

Medical officers of the state also examined passengers who had disembarked at Kharagpur, the only other station where the train stopped in West Bengal, the sources added.