States »EasPosted at: May 5 2021 12:29PM

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says combating Covid-19 and restoring peace her first priority

PRIORITY

Kolkata, May 5 (UNI) West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on

Wednesday said her new government's first priority was

to combat Covid-19 and appeal to all to maintain peace or else stern

action to be taken against the offenders.

" I will go to Nabanna immediately and hold meeting to chalk out plan

how to combat the covid situation which is first priority and

restore the law and order situation which is our second priority and

warn stern action would be taken if anyone indulge in violence

across the state," Ms Banerjee said soon after taking the oath of the

office of chief minister at Ran Bhawan for third time in a row.

" I will set up my team to tackle the situation and appeal to all the

political parties not to indulge in any sort of violence. There is

sporadic

incidents of violence but now will ensure that any offender would not

be spared any more" she said.

" We will hold a meeting on Covid situation around 1230 and tell the

media during the press conference at 3 pm in Nabanna,"

She said the new postings ( officials both civil and police) will be

taken up to tidy up the administration.

" For the last three months the set up was not our which was under the

ECI but now will have our team of officials to tackle the

situation.

She also thanked the people and said around India and elsewhere they

were watching the outcome of Bengal elections.

Earlier,she took oath as the chief minister of West Bengal for 3rd

time in a row, exactly three days after the charismatic leader

led her Trinamool Congress to a sweeping victory with 213 seats in the

294 seats assembly elections.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankar administered the oath of office and secrecy

at simple function under the covid situation.

Wearing a milky white saree and matching full sleeves blouse and

white mask on the nose and mouth, Ms Banejee

took the oath in Bengali.

The 66-year-old TMC supremo has been the chief minister from 2011

onward, also the first woman CM in Bengal,

took office after defeating then Left Front government which was

heading then CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.

She was again took the office of the chief minister in 2016 when she

had bagged 211 seats

Among others presence at the simple function under covid protocol at

Raj Bhawan were Ms Banerjee's nephew

and party MP Abishek Banerjee, I-PAC chief ( poll strategist) Prashant

Kishor, former speaker Biman Banerjee,

Firhad Hakim, actor turned MP Dev, Partha Chatterjee, state chief

secretary Alaphan Bhandypadhya,

the DGP and others.

However, there were no opposition members, neither from BJP nor the

Congress as invitations were

sent to BJP president Dilip Ghosh, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan

Chowdhury and Pradeep Bhattacharya.

The TMC came to power for the third time in a row in West Bengal,

pocketing 213 of the 292 assembly seats that went to polls,

while its main challenger, the BJP, bagged 77 seats.

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