BTC Secretariat officials fear violation of lockdown protocol

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The officers and other officials of BTC Secretariat have expressed fear over violation of lockdown protocol by top bureaucrats of the council despite the District Magistrate of Kokrajhar issuing strict travel restrictions from Kokrajhar to Guwahati and Guwahati to Kokrajhar.

Talking to this reporter, an officer of the BTC Secretariat who did not want to be named, said that there was fear in the minds of the people of Kokrajhar about persons travelling to or coming from Guwahati. He said the Kokrajhar District Magistrate had already imposed restriction order on back and forth journey from Kokrajhar to Guwahati and Guwahati to Kokrajhar on July 7 but despite this, the new Administrator of BTC visited BTC Secretariat and held a meeting with the Secretaries on Thursday. He also said the Raj Bhavan in Guwahati had been declared as containment zone and the Administrator, who lived in Guwahati, was not beyond doubt.

"This is clear violation of lockdown protocol by a top officer of BTC," he said, adding that the Administrator spent the night at Kokrajhar on Thursday and attended office on Friday also. He said that such violation by top bureaucrats would encourage common people to violate the norms. Other officials of the council Secretariat also expressed fear over the Administrator's visit from Guwahati.

In view of the increasing number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Guwahati of Kamrup (metro) district, the District Magistrate and chairman of District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Kokrajhar, Bhaskar Phukan, in exercise of the powers conferred under section 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, has imposed restriction on back and forth journey of people from Kamrup (M) to Kokrajhar district and vice versa under general circumstances in the interest of maintenance of public health, hygiene and safety of the general. However, travelling back and forth from Kamrup (M) to Kokrajahr district and vice versa on genuine medical ground and essential government services has been exempted from the purview of this order, subject to adherence of protocol related to COVID-19.

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