Assam Lockdown: 500 People Travelling in 10 Vehicles Intercepted in Barpeta amid Corona Scare

Barpeta, March 24, 2020:

Staring at a week-long Government lockdown imposed keeping in view the threat posed by the coronavirus or COVID-19, over 500 people from Assam, en route to their homes, were halted in Barpeta district earlier today.

The 500 people have reportedly arrived in Barpeta earlier today in as many as 10 vehicles, and were stopped by the local authorities, as the Government has become extra-cautious in the midst of the viral outbreak.

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The Transport Department officials, as soon as they got wind of the arrival of ten unannounced vehicles, reached the spot to intercept the passengers and ensure that they were screened. Himangshu Das, the DTO of Barpeta district, talking to Inside Northeast, says: "Barpeta has restricted the movement the inflow of vehicles into the district - 25-20 buses and Travellers have also been seized by the authorities earlier. Today, we received an information that many cars and vehicles are coming with passengers. Thus, we went with two teams and stopped 10 cars in their tracks."

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The DTO further informed us that the passengers of the vehicle were people from all walks of life who were returning to their native Barpeta after the Government's decision to lockdown. "Most of the people are from Guwahati; Paying Guest and hostel students, working professionals, so basically,  -- The vehicles are from all places -- Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Guwahati.."

"Over 500 passengers, we saw, were coming in from all the places; we informed the local police. From the joint directors cooperation, screening is going on...the passengers are still being screened as of the moment...", the DTO further said.

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It is pertinent to mention here that corona panic has prevailed in Lower Assam ever since a bus carrying around 50 youths from the other Indian States, arrived in Nalbari. The Kerala bus, that caused the situation of hue-and-cry, bore registration number KL-74A-3096, alarming locals. The bus had reportedly brought youths employed in Kerala, who had rented it in a bid to escape the corona-panic in the South Indian State. Locals avow that no less than 50 youths from Kerala had boarded the bus in a mad scramble to return home.

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However, in a mad display, locals surrounded the bus, refusing the panic-stricken youths to get down from the bus, which resulted in absolute and utter chaos. Subsequently, a team of experts was summoned in order to examine the youths. Armed personnel were also called, who kept a vigil on the goings-on with keen interest.

Inside Northeast has been informed that at least five of the youths are from the Rowmari village. Others, it has been reported, are from other Assam towns such as Morigaon, Barpeta, et al.

The local Doulasal youths, who disembarked in the Nalbari village, were physically assessed in Mukalmua, and were finally declared as “danger free”. They were then embraced into the village fold by the local headman, upon being cleared. Locals, meanwhile, continue to seethe at the 5 youths being let off with a primary assessment, without the standard checking protocol for COVID-19 patients.

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