PM Modi reviews Baghjan gas well fire incident situation through video conference and assures all support for relief and rehabilitation of affected families

Guwahati, June 18: PM Narendra Modi on Thursday reviewed the progress of control measures being carried out at Baghjan gas well fire incident in Assam’s Tinsukia district through video conferencing.

Prime Minister Modi interacted with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal through video-conference and reviewed the situation of the gas well at Baghjan oil field which erupted into flames on June 9 along with government relief operations to provide succour to the affected families.

The Prime Minister was chairing a meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority at New Delhi.

Prime Minister Modi speaking at the video conference expressed Government of India’s solidarity with the affected families.

The Prime Minister said that the Union government would take all necessary steps for compensation, relief and rehabilitation of the affected families.

Prime Minister Modi also assured that the central government would take all precautionary measures to minimize the possibility of any such incident in future.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while apprising the Prime Minister about the latest situation at Baghjan, said that people in the nearby areas are still in panic as the gas well could not be capped till now.

“Tremors are being felt into areas of three km radius from the Baghjan gas well site which also caused damage to houses creating further fear among people. Experts from NEIST and IIT Guwahati have been entrusted to study this phenomenon,” Sonowal said.

Thanking Prime Minister for his proactive steps on the issue, Assam Chief Minister Sonowal said that as soon as the fire broke out, four ministers of the state government camped at the site and supervised the relief operations.

Informing that an economic package has been announced for Baghjan area, Sonowal said that state government has earmarked an amount of Rs 27 crore for bringing a permanent solution to the problems of floods and erosion in Baghjan. Apart from that, one model hospital, a veterinary hospital, a model higher secondary school, steps for development of the Tinsukia-Baghjan road, converting Maguri-Motapung Beel into an international tourist destination by both OIL and state government, providing financial assistance to 300 women SHGs of the area, setting up a skill development centre etc. have also been announced.

The Assam Chief Minister said that Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is personally monitoring the control measures, which are being carried out by foreign and Indian experts.

Sonowal further informed that local people have now been confident about their security with the steps taken by the government and extending cooperation in the initiatives of the government.

The Assam Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to upgrade the Petroleum Technology Department of Dibrugarh University so that it can groom experts locally who could tackle incidents of this kind successfully.

He observed that such an effort would help in taking expeditious measures without waiting for foreign experts at the time of such incidents in future.

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan while taking part in the discussion briefed the Prime Minister about various steps taken by his ministry.

Earlier, Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas made a presentation on the entire blow out incident and steps taken by the ministry.

Along with PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Environment & Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar, DONER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, several Union Ministers of State, Cabinet Secretary and senior officers of the Union Government were present in the video conference.

Along with Assam Chief Minister Sonowal, Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Additional Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Sanjay Lohiya and other senior officers were present at the video conference at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati.

33 students-tourists stranded in Assam due to lockdown finally go back to Bangladesh

Guwahati, June 18: As many as 33 people from Bangladesh stranded in Assam and other parts of North Eastern region due the COVID-19 lockdown, have finally gone back to Bangladesh.

The Bangladeshi nationals who stuck in the North Eastern region of India in past three months went back to Bangladesh through the Sutarkandi International Border point in Assam’s Karimganj district on Thursday.

According to the reports, out of 33 people, 22 are students studied at NIT in Silchar and 11 tourists and pilgrims.

A top official of Karimganj district administration said that the district health officials had conducted proper screening and other examinations of the Bangladeshi nationals and later they were handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.

On the other hand, Babita Bhattacharya – a Bangladeshi student said that she was staying at NIT, Silchar guest house during the COVID-19 lockdown period and she is now happy as she is going to meet her parent after six months.

Earlier, 124 Indians stuck in Bangladesh due to lockdown were returned to India through the Sutarkandi International Border point on May 28 and 80 other Bangladeshi nationals went back to Bangladesh.

Anti-China protests in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Chinese flags, president’s effigies burnt

Guwahati, June 18: Protests in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by various organizations, people have burnt effigies, posters of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese flags in Guwahati and other parts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday against the killing of 20 Indian soldiers by the Chinese army in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.

In Guwahati, the protesters of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, Bharat Raksha Manch had burnt effigies of Chinese president Xi Jinping and shouted slogans against China.

The protesters also demanded to boycott Chinese goods.

The anti-China protesters had also set fire to the Chinese flags in Guwahati.

As many as 20 Indian army personnel were killed in clashes with Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galway Valley on June 15 night.

On the other hand, the local villagers of Upper Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday set fire to Chinese flags, good items made in China and President Xi Jinping at Tuting area.

The protesters raised slogans for Indian army as “Indian Army zindabad’, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.

The locals had also protested against the Chinese government in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district.

Coronavirus: Assam starts Targeted Surveillance Program to check community transmission

Guwahati, June 18: Given the surge in the number of COVID-19 positive cases as it continuing unabated in the state, the Assam government has started Assam Targeted Surveillance Program (ATSP) across the state by aiming to check community transmission by conducting 50,000 random tests for the deadly virus.

The programme is aiming to check community transmission of the novel Coronavirus and it will target the vulnerable areas of the state.

Under the programme, the state Health Department has collected samples of people working in the locations such as truck parking places, loading and unloading centres, godown areas, weighbridges, dhabas etc.

The state Health Department will also collect samples of the staff of hotels used as institutional quarantine and frontline workers including police personnel will be tested for the new virus.

The programme has started in Guwahati and other parts of the state from June 17 and it will be continued till June 30.

In Guwahati, the state Health Department has opened 12 sample collection centres.

According to the Assam government data, the state has so far reported 4694 positive cases for COVID-19.

Kamakhya temple will not allow any devotees, pilgrims to attend this year’s Ambubachi Mela

Guwahati, June 18: Given the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the famous Kamakhya temple management authorities have decided not to allow any devotees, pilgrims to attend this year’s, Ambubachi Mela.

First time in the history, this year’s Ambubachi Mela will be observed behind the doors and only the rituals will be performed in the temple.

The temple management authorities have decided, unlike previous years, this year the devotees, sadhus, sanyasis and pilgrims will not be allowed to enter the Kamakhya temple or the nearby places. Further, all the entrances to the historic temple will be closed to prevent anyone from climbing up.

Like every year, this year too Ambubachi Mahayog will be held at the temple from June 22.

Kamakhya temple Doloi (head priest) Kabindra Prasad Sarma said that this year’s Ambubachi Mela will be started from June 22 and the timing of Ambubachi Prabritti at 07-53-15 am on June 22.

“The Nibritti of Ambubachi Mela will be held at 08-16-55 pm on June 25. We will not celebrate this year’s Ambubachi Mela like as previous years. We will only perform our rituals during the Ambubachi Mela,” Kabindra Prasad Sarma said.

The Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu mela (fair) held at Kamakhya temple and it is the celebration of the yearly menstruation course of goddess Maa Kamakhya and the mela started from June 22 every year at Kamakhya Temple.

On the other hand, the temple management authorities have also decided to keep the temple closed for devotees, pilgrims till June 30 due to the adverse situation caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the decision to re-open the temple will be taken considering the prevailing situation only.