Huge breach of quarantine protocol: Mamata writes to PM; Centre to decide on banning domestic flight

Kolkata, Mar 23: After West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a ban on all flights coming to the state, the Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said that the central government will decide on banning domestic flights to curtail the spread of coronavirus.

On Sunday the Centre overruled the Delhi government on a ban on domestic flights in and out of the national capital, however on Monday indicated it was open to reconsidering its position as the demand by the CMs was an understandable matter.

Earlier, Mamata wrote to PM Modi that a partial lockdown has been implemented in West Bengal, but the state government is seriously concerned that the Centre is still allowing operation of domestic flights.

Terming the operation of flights a "huge breach of shut down and quarantine protocol", Mamata pointed that there are no arrangements for social distancing on these flights.

Mamata also listed that the steps taken by her government to curb the spread of coronavirus and improve the health infrastructure, saying that since operation of passenger trains, metro services and inter-state buses have been suspended, a similar step should be taken for flights too.

On Monday, Kolkata and several other districts in West Bengal have been locked down till March 27 after seven confirmed cases were reported from the state.