TURA: Even as surveillance was beefed up by West Garo Hills authorities to check the crossing over of people from Assam through the Jinjiram river, the Phulbari Regional Unit of the GSU on Thursday urged the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Dadenggre in the same district to take steps to check the movement of Assam bound vehicles in the region and to totally stop the operation of inland boats from Assam in the Jinjiram River.
In their letter to the official, the union informed that Assam bound vehicles are plying in large numbers freely on the AMPT road with no checks being conducted on them towards preventing the spread of Covid-19. The union added that people from Assam are also crossing the Jinjiram River in river boats to come to Garo Hills after which they are neither quarantined nor checked by medical officials.
Stating that the unchecked activity has created fear psychosis among the people of the region, the union urged that police patrolling be strengthened near the Assam-Meghalaya border at Salmara and adjoining border areas of Nagabandh (Phulbari) and Denurguti Ghat among others.
“Covid-19 positive cases are increasing daily in neighbouring Dhubri town of Assam. To restrict the inflow of people from Assam towards Phulbari, we urged you to take necessary steps for the safety of the people less a crisis occurs in the future,” GSU president Francewell Marak said.