‘Filthy quarantine centres’: Assam Congress hits at Himanta Biswa Sarma over COVID-19 mismanagement

Assam Congress president Ripun Bora on May 27th, 2020, in a video press conference, alleged that the environment of the quarantine centres in the state is filthy.

“People have been quarantined in dirty quarantine centres. Chances of infection is higher in such kind of unhygienic environment,” Bora alleged while lashing out at the state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Moreover, he said that no sufficient drinking water facility and toilet provisions are available in the quarantine centres. “Very low standard food is being provided to the people staying in quarantine centres,” he said while adding that this has proved government’s mismanagement to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Also read: Assam Detects 20 New COVID-19 Cases, Count Nears 700

Reality check

A number of reports of filthy environment, insufficient drinking water facility, poor quality food and other issues in the quarantine centres across the state have come to light. People shared videos and photographs of such issues in social media platform which created a lot of controversies.

Recently, a youth, whose sister is in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sorbhog, quarantine centre in Barpeta district in Assam, shared a video of the filthy environment of the centre. The video shows the toilets are filled with dirty water.

Speaking to Inside NE, the youth on condition of anonymity said that the toilets were filled with dirty water. “No initiative was taken by the concerned authority despite repeated complaints were made. After lodging complaints several times, finally, they have cleaned the quarantine centre to some extent,” the youth said.

There are around 300 people staying in the JNV, Sorbhog Quarantine centre. Most of them are the returnee from Bengaluru.

Also read: Assam: Silchar quarantine centre escapees detained in Hailakandi

War of words

Countering Himanta Biswa Sarma’s argument in one of his recent press conferences that criticism demoralizes the health workers, Bora said, “Congress does not want to demoralize the health workers, doctors and other medical staff. But, that does not mean that the government is beyond scrutiny.”

“Government has failed in COVID-19 management. This has led to protests at various quarantine centre,” Bora said.

In contrary to Sarma’s argument of ruthless quarantine, the Assam Congress president said, “Send the symptomatic people to institutional quarantine and non-symptomatic people to home quarantine and keep surveillance on them. This would help in COVID-management.”

Moreover, he alleged that keeping people, who have returned via flight, at the airport for screening and swab collection for hours and hours without any food is a kind of torture.

Also read: Assam: Kamrup Metro most affected with coronavirus, Darrang, Karbi, Dibrugarh lowest

Countering Himanta Biswa Sarma over his statement that cases are rising in the state due to not following social distancing in buses or trains while returning to the state, the Assam Congress president said, “How could people break government’s rule to maintain social distancing in buses or trains while returning to the state where there are police checking everywhere? If people broke the rules as Himanta Biswa Sarma said, then the government is answerable to that.”

COVID-19 scenario in Assam

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has infected 686 people and claimed four lives in the state so far. Out of this 686 people, 617 are active and 62 have been cured or discharged while three were migrated. Most of the cases have a travel history.

Assam is followed by Tripura with 207 cases, Manipur with 39 cases and Meghalaya with 20 cases.

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