From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: The Assam Government will, from Tuesday, register cases against Markaz visitors who remain in hiding and do not disclose their travel history before authorities.
“The state task force has decided that those who do not come out from their hiding by this evening, will be booked under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act for willful disobedience despite repeated appeals by the state government,” Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters here on Monday. “We had aimed to collect about 617 samples of people connected to the Markaz, of which 491 have been collected, while 128 are yet to be collected. We are hopeful that the remaining samples will be collected by this evening and that the matter would be resolved. In this regard, we have held talks with several Markaz leaders,” Sarma said.
According to the lists obtained from the Centre and local surveillance, the state government had names of 831 people from Assam who were suspected to have attended the Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Markaz. About 50 have not returned while 100 are not associated with the Markaz.
Meanwhile, the Assam Police on Monday evening warned those Markaz attendees playing truant to appear before their nearest hospitals or public health centres by 6 am on April 7, 2020, or face legal action under the relevant provisions of Indian Penal Code and Disaster Management Act, 2005.
“This is the final appeal to those people who have come to Assam after being present at the Nizamuddin Markaz or have been to a state or country affected by COVID-19 recently. All such individuals are requested to present themselves at the nearest hospital/PHC or call the helpline number 104 informing the authorities about their presence and condition by 6 am on April 7, 2020,” the police force stated in a notification.
Apart from booking those deliberately failing to present themselves or inform the authorities by the given deadline, it also warned those giving shelter to such people or hiding their travel history, of similar action.
Medical kits
The minister said that the state government has adequate stock of medical equipment including 3,941 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, 36,487 N95 masks and 7,28,022 triple-layer masks.
“By this evening, we will get another 5,000 PPE kits. In regard to triple layer masks, the Centre has allowed manufacture of the masks by SHGs and individual groups. The process has started and the National Health Mission is willing to procure the masks,” he said. He further said that the state government has adequate funds to tackle the virus and that a sum of Rs 2.15 crore was on Sunday sanctioned among the medical colleges and government facilities which are treating COVID-19 patients.