SHILLONG, Jan 23: The 69th plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) here on Saturday was far from smooth.
Protocols of social distancing were not maintained at the function held at the NEC auditorium and there were many without masks. There was no thermal scanning at the entry of the NEC headquarters with officials and invitees not being checked for body temperature.
An official reportedly fell sick due to “uncomfortable” air-conditioning and he was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Another person seen in the parking lot of the NEC headquarters also fell down unconscious and people rushed to assist him after he collapsed.
Arrogance was on display too. An NEC official ordered the media persons to leave the auditorium soon after the inaugural function.
The media persons were not allowed to cover the entire proceedings and were asked to exit as soon as the Union Home Minister Amit Shah lighted the ceremonial lamp.
The NEC authorities refused to explain what was so secretive about the meeting related to the development of the region.
Shah’s visit also caused a great deal of inconvenience to the common inhabitants of Shillong. A woman who had to visit a hospital said the traffic restrictions were nothing but harassment.
“Vehicles carrying pregnant women and the sick should have been allowed to ply,” she said.
Another woman on hospital duty was stuck in Upper Shillong for almost two hours during the VIP movement in the city.