Meghalaya government urges North Garo Hills DC to talk to Assam's district Goalpara counterpart

With over 40 leading students organisations of Assam and Meghalaya threatening to start an economic blockade from Thursday on all routes from Goalpara (Assam) to Garo Hills (Meghalaya), Meghalaya government has relaxed the entry rules.

Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tysong on Wednesday said in a statement, "We have asked the concerned deputy commissioner to engage with the counterpart as the state government has revised the protocols related to entry and exit where people from Assam, who visit the state for five days or less, need not get themselves tested at the entry point if the visit is only for five days or less," 

Now, Meghalaya government has asked DC north garo hills to speak to his counterpart in Goalpara and to lift curbs and allow them to enter the Garo hills.

As per reports, around 40 organisations, including the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), All Rabha Students' Union and All Bodo Students' Union, have threatened to block all points of entry to western Meghalaya's Garo Hills from October 29 if the Meghalaya government does not get over its pandemic obsession.

It is to be mentioned that the North Garo Hills district shares a border with Assam and is the entry point into the region.

As per revised protocols related to testing of COVID19 cases, visitors coming for a specific purpose (business, examinations, industry, work, personal distress, etc.) to Meghalaya for a short duration of 5 days or less, are exempted from quarantine on the production of a COVID-Negative RAT report from a recognised laboratory.

These organisations alleged that they would not call off the economic blockade if the Ministry of home affair guidelines are not implemented by the Meghalaya government.

They also stated that restrictions that are imposed by Meghalaya governnemnt on movement of traders and workers as well as vehicles from Assam, have largely affected the people in Goalpara district, who commute to Garo Hills every day.

Small traders are facing several issues as they are unable to resume their businesses due to the restriction.

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