Covid shadow over Bengal civic polls as cases continue to rise

“We determine the polling dates in consultation with the state government. Therefore, till the State isn’t ready to postpone or reschedule the polls, we cannot take a unilateral decision to defer the polling process. However, many of our polling personnel who are above 50 years of age are requesting us to defer the entire polling process,” the official added.

The poll-bound Asansol, Bidhannagar, Chandannagar and Siliguri municipal corporations are situated in Paschim Bardhaman, North 24-Parganas, Hooghly and Darjeeling districts. According to the data released by the state health department, these four districts are among the worst-affected districts by Covid-19 since January 1.

In the first week of January, 73,472 people tested Covid positive in the state. The bulk of these cases, 33,375, were reported from Kolkata. North 24 Parganas trailed at second with 12,348 Covid cases over the same period.

According to sources in the health department, as many as 23 containment zones have been announced in Bidhannagar alone in view of rising Covid cases.

Among the other districts in South Bengal that have been hit hard by the prevailing wave are Howrah, South 24 Parganas, Paschim Bardhaman and Hooghly. Between January 1 and 7, Howrah recorded 6,190 cases, while Paschim Bardhaman, South 24 Parganas and Hooghly reported 3,646; 3,515 and 3,117 cases, respectively.

In the same period, Darjeeling has the second-highest Covid cases among the seven north Bengal districts at 775.

A petition was filed in the Calcutta High Court on Friday seeking deferment of the civic polls in view of the rising Covid cases. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Kesang Doma Bhutia directed the WBSEC to file an affidavit by Monday on whether to hold the civic polls in the prevailing situation.

On Saturday, West Bengal recorded 18,802 new Covid-19 cases, up marginally from 18,213 on Friday. The fresh cases took the state’s overall tally of infections to 17,30,759. The state also reported 19 new deaths, taking the cumulative death toll to 19,883. The state also recorded 8,112 fresh recoveries over the past 24 hours taking the overall figure to 16,48,821, the health department said in a bulletin.

Meanwhile, the government allowed salons and beauty parlours to operate at 50 per cent of their capacities till 10 pm. The government issued an order stating, “Owners/Management shall ensure that the staff and the customers are fully vaccinated and all covid protocols including regular sanitisation of the workplace are duly followed.”