Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], April 21 (ANI): The Odisha government on Monday said that one-third of COVID-19 positive cases in the state is due to those who have returned from West Bengal.To date, there are 74 positive COVID-19 cases in the state, out of which 24 are those who have come from West Bengal."One-third of all positive COVID-19 cases are those that have returned from West Bengal which is worrying for the Odisha government," a press release said."Most people related to these cases having origin from West Bengal were clandestinely trying to sneak into the villages. They are held by and identified by the panchayats in Odisha, who did not allow them to enter into the villages. The panchayats in turn then informed the district administration and ensured that these people were placed in quarantine," it added."In doing so, the panchayats saved their respective villages from the menace of COVID-19 entering their habitations and also exhibited how the panchayats in Odisha are playing a leading role in combating COVID-19," the release said."Yesterday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has undertaken a historic decision in this fight against COVID-19. The sarpanches of the gram panchayats have been given the powers of District Collectors," it stated.The government said it has "great trust" in the panchayats as institutions and arrangements for combating COVID-19 have been made in each panchayat."It's only through community-based surveillance and monitoring that the fight against corona can succeed," it said. (ANI)

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