By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 30: Revenue Minister Bhumidhar Barman will look after all affairs of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi till Gogoi resumes office after his heart surgery. Gogoi wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary stating that in his absence, Barman would take care of all affairs of the State on his behalf. “Barman will preside over all Cabinet meetings and have discussion with me over telephone when there is crisis in the State,” Gogoi told the Chief Secretary in his letter.

Soon after his arrival in the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati from New Delhi today, Barman got the news of the blast in Goalpara district. He had to go straight to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) where the injured in the blast have been under treatment. From the GMCH, he went to his office and reviewed the situation at a meeting.

Two of his Cabinet colleagues, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Prithibi Majhi, were also in the same flight with Barman. Barman sent Sarma to Goalpara district straight from the airport to take stock of the situation there.

Talking to The Sentinel, Barman said: “The incident is condemnable. This is an ominous signal at a time when a section of intellectuals has been trying to initiate peace talks between the government and the ULFA. Both the State and the Central governments have taken the matter seriously.”

Barman said that the State Government would extend Rs 5 lakh as compensation for each killed in the militant attack. He said that the State Government would also give compensation to the injured jawans.