Languishing patient at COVID centre in Dibrugarh: Letters to THE EDITOR

Languishing patient at COVID centre in Dibrugarh

Only recently we could read startling news in the print media that chaos prevailed in the Khanikar COVID centre, Dibrugarh.

One of the inmates (patients) of the centre happens to be our neighbour. As I rang him up today, he let me know that since his admission in the centre on September 20, no doctor, no nurse visited the centre. There are certain caretakers who give the patients certain medicines in the evening. Incidentally, he has been suffering from some other ailments. His wife told me that she had provided him a blanket, horlicks and packet of biscuits. The patients are allowed to languish, let some of them die – who cares?

Our Health Minister always is heard blowing his trumpet. Will the minister kindly take steps to plug the holes? Else, some patients are destined to die.

Ashok Bordoloi,

Dibrugarh.

Reviving tourism

The editorial published in your daily of September 27, 2020 is a very timely one.

The coronavirus pandemic has badly affected the tourism sector throughout the world.

Along with the tourism industry other industries like hospitality, transport etc have badly suffered.

Due to the pandemic situation people are not willing to travel even within the State except for very urgent work. As pointed out in your editorial, the tourism industry has suffered in Assam due to CAB (later on CAA) movement which started in the month of December 2019 the peak time for the tourists to visit the famous Kaziranga National Park, home for the famous single horned rhinoceros. Many local youths in Kaziranga have opened lodges or resorts in Kohora locality near by the KNP and some others were engaged in transporting the tourists and also ferrying them inside the national park. Due to the absence of the tourist they are suffering and are not in a position to maintain their livelihood along with the tour operators.

For about a decade, the inflow of both international as well as domestic tourists is increasing in the State as it is getting publicity and infrastructure are also developing side by side.

Tourism, agriculture, horticulture, poultry and animal farming are the sectors where the locals can engage themselves and create employment opportunity for others also. The National parks of the State generally opens in October, November for the tourists, however the present situation is not friendly for tourists. The State government should extend all possible help to the tour operators, hospitality sectors and other services related to it so that tourism sector can revive.

Bikash Barpujari

Guwahati

Restore tourism industry

The coronavirus pandemic has widely hit the tourism and hospitality industry of the country and the Union Government is commencing to restore it. Recently, the SAATHI application has been introduced by the Ministry of Tourism with the Quality Council of India to assist the hospitality industry to continue to operate safely and thereby instill confidence among the staff members and the guests about the safety of the hotel/unit. That also will ensure COVID-19 safeguards. This year the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has designated 2020 as the Year of Tourism and Rural Development to encourage the potential of tourism to create employment and opportunities. Expect that all State governments and organizations should take initiative to restore the tourism and hospitality industry.

Amit Singh Kushwaha,

Satna (M.P.)

On verge of extinction?

The CPI and CPM had presence in pan India thanks to some of the leaders like Lt. Jyoti Basu, Lt. E M S Namboodiripad, Lt. Somnath Chatterjee, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Manik Sarkar who were highly respected by the masses across the country. West Bengal, Kerela and Tripura were their bastion and in Assam too they had some strong pockets. But in the present time these two parties are finding no place to stand. After being overthrown in the State of West Bengal and rejected in the State of Tripura, these Left ideology government is only managing to hold on to their fortress in the State of Kerala. In Kerela too their position is not rosy but shaky after the exposure of the gold smuggling scam. Even after their pity state, some of the leftist leaders like Sitaram Yechuri, Birinda Karat never shy away from lambasting the government at the drop of a hat. They care least about their organizational setup or about their cadres. Coming to our State, we sometime see some State level leaders of CPM and CPI holding protest rallies in some parts of the State but in those protest rallies we have often observed that their leaders outnumber the cadres. The role of the Left forces during the Indo-China conflict of 1962 might be one of the prime reasons for their rejection by the masses

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati

Cattle in North Lakhimpur town

Sir, I would like to draw the attention of the Lakhimpur District Administration towards the traffic congestion in North Lakhimpur town arising from the free roaming of cattle in busy roads. The increasing the incidence of traffic congestion and road accident in the town is due to use of the town roads as a shelter of cattle by some irresponsible owners. Mostly during the evening time, these animals are staying in the mid of the path in such a way that neither any vehicle nor any pedestrian can move freely on the road and got accident due to obstruction of the path by the same at night. A few months ago, a few youths have lost their lives due to such incidence with cattle. Hope, if these animals have any owner, they should take the responsibility of these animals by arranging appropriate shelters for them. The district administration should take stern action regarding this to avert any dangerous road accident in near future. The various NGOs of Lakhimpur town should also come forward to aware the owner of these animals for the greater interest of the people of North Lakhimpur town. Because, the purpose of making road is to pave the way of transportation and traffic movement. Using it as a shelter of animals will not only create havoc, but also ruin the image of Lakhimpurians.

Dr. Biraj Kumar Sarma,

North Lakhimpur

Corruption: An unrooted root

Corruption has rooted so deeply in every sphere of our life today that it is now almost impossible to uproot from its unwavering cavern. Of course, at intervals one or two corruption cases come to the limelight where the government takes initiative to uproot it by giving the corrupt some exemplary punishment. But it is like a black pepper in a basket full of pot-herbs. Nowadays it has become a customary habit to offer bribe to speed up the official work. If anybody does not pay money table to table he or she has to go several days for his or her papers. It may take a month or a year to finish up one's work. But if he offers money then he can wrap up his work within three-four days. Of late, the Chief Minister of Assam appeals to all to follow the policy of "no giving, no taking" to prevent corruption. This is a useless appeal because if anyone follows the "no giving, no taking" policy then he has to wait a long long time to finish up his official work. Instead the Chief Minister should instruct the departments to organize a training camp to reform the mindset of the government officials. Moreover, he can set an example by confiscating the property of the corrupted people and make it a public property and send them to the dark room of the jail. Remember fish decays from its head. So, first of all the government should take some stern steps to uproot corruption so that no one can point a finger to them. There is need for a radical change to the attitude of the government officials to serve people and make their country a prosperous one by eradicating corruption from the society.

Harsha Mohan Sarma,

Chamata, Nalbari.