GUWAHATI: Though the Assam government has claimed that the inter-district movement which was announced by state health and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a press conference on 22nd April last will be hassle free, many applicants have claimed that the entire process has been done in haste and in an unplanned manner.
A human resource manager of a media house located in Guwahati talking to G Plus under condition of anonymity said, “I tried managing to bring back an important employee of the organization from Udalguri but was not able to.” She claimed that whenever she dialled 104, it never worked for her.
Similarly, a Guwahati based teacher, now stranded in Silchar, said that it was difficult to contact the Silchar deputy commissioner’s office to get an e-pass to commute to Guwahati. Similar complaints were reported from districts across the state.
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The health and finance minister of the state is seen busy combating the Covid-19 pandemic and all states have appreciated the man. But looking at his spirit to work, the minister should also understand that for all departments there are ministers who are responsible. On April 24, state transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary was expected to address the media at 4 pm.
Sources said that he was planning to explain how the transport department will manage the transportation of the applicants, but at 3.30 pm, the finance minister already had narrated whatever the transport minister was expecting to explain.
Patowary’s press conference was thereafter called off without an official reason being cited.
The government converted 104 as a toll-free number for people who are stranded in various districts because of sudden continuous lockdown, but the number was used as a toll-free for medical emergencies since many days.
The Assam government had decided to allow inter-district movement of people for 3 days with an aim to provide some relief to the people stranded in various parts of the state.
Announcing this, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday had said, “We have decided to allow inter-district movement for three days from April 25 to April 27 so that people stranded in different parts of the state can commute back to their native places.”
He had also said, “People with their own vehicles, if stranded in some other part of the state, will be allowed to commute after they acquire proper permission from the respective deputy commissioners.”
People who do not have vehicles were asked to dial 104 and might get a chance to travel by Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) buses in allocated routes by the transport department.
Till 24th evening people were confused as only a few were intimated by the ASTC and officials in ASTC claimed that all were informed. When asked how many buses were allocated by the ASTC to help the stranded passengers, the ASTC officials failed to answer.
