Assam limping back to normalcy after three days of unrelenting protest against CAA

GUWAHATI: Assam on Friday showed signs of limping back to normalcy even as curfew continued in several districts including Guwahati to prevent further deterioration in law and order due to protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB).

Considering inconveniences and scarcity of essential items faced by residents in Guwahati and other parts of the State, some grocery shops and vegetables opened their shutters early Friday morning. Huge rushes and long queues of customers were witnessed in front of these shops. Essential items were exhausted within a few hours in many shops.

“If there is no untoward incident in Guwahati in the next 12-hours, the administration might partially lift curfew on Saturday,” a source in Kamrup Metropolitan district administration said. Sources said the administration has also asked the petrol pumps in Greater Guwahati areas to open under the supervision of magistrates.

The metro district administration on Friday also started a drive to clear all wreckages gathered on GS Road and other main roads due to damages of public property during the last two-days of anti-CAB protests.

The State Transport department also pressed 30 buses into service to lift stranded passengers from Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Borjhar. Flight passengers were dropped at Paltan Bazar on Friday. Buses have been placed at Paltan Bazar point of Guwahati Railway Station and Kamakhya Railway Station for transporting passengers to different parts of the city. The Transport department is also operating special buses to ferry a section of stranded passengers from New Jalpaiguri and Bongaigaon railway stations.

The ATMs in different parts of the State are, however, running dry due to disruption in banking service since December 10. Government and private offices, banks, commercial establishments and educational institutions remained close on Friday.

On other hand, the administration on Friday said two youths died and 24 others were injured during the anti-CAB protests. However, unofficial sources on Thursday put the death toll at 3.

Meanwhile, the people can contact State Emergency Helpline numbers 1079 and 9401044617 in case of any crisis they face. The Kamrup Metro district administration has also opened two helpline numbers 1077 and 0361/2733052.

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