People stage economic blockade at Banderdewa of Lakhimpur district

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Tensed situation has prevailed in Banderdrwa of Lakhimpur district, located in the Assam-Arunachal border area, in connection with the here and there roaming of three coronavirus positive truck drivers driven from Arunachal Pradesh.

Regarding the issue, the people staged strong protest against the Government of Arunachal Pradesh by initiating economic blockade at Banderdewa on Sunday. According to the protesters, a section of COVID-19 patients have been recklessly driven out by Arunachal Pradesh administration towards the State of Assam without adopting due treatment and quarantine measures for them. This development has created panic situation in the area and it led to the protest on Sunday.

According to reports, hundreds of goods carrying trucks entered Arunachal Pradesh in the past couples of days from various States of the nation. The local administration under Arunachal Pradesh Government and the Health Department has been conducting Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) over the truck drivers and handymen at the Arunachal Pradesh entry point located at Banderdewa. On last two days, infection of coronavirus was detected in three truck drivers while conducting the RAT.

But the matter of concern is that the Arunachal Pradesh administration has driven the three COVID-19 positive truck drivers to Banderdewa without having them quarantined for due treatment. Later they were compelled to roam here and there. However, the people of the area managed to put the three COVID-19 patients into quarantine informing the matter to Assam Police. The people of Banderdewa expressed vehement resentment against the Arunachal Pradesh Government with regard to driving the COVID-19 patients towards Assam. By staging the protest, they demanded the Arunachal Pradesh Government to shoulder the responsibility of all the trucks transporting various goods to Arunachal and to arrange treatment measures for them if the drivers and handymen were detected positive for coronavirus. Moreover, the people of Pothalipahar, Bhogpur, Harmoti also demanded not to keep stopping the trucks and other goods carrying vehicles leading to Arunachal Pradesh for long time at the side of the NH-15 until the adverse situation of COVID -19 pandemic was over. Regarding these issues, they demanded the State Government and Lakhimpur District Administration to initiate adequate step.

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