'Will provide all help to affected families' Says Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

Baghjan blowout

GUWAHATI: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that his Ministry is closely monitoring the oil well blowout situation at Baghjan in Tinsukia district and assured the State government that all necessary steps would be taken by the Government of India to provide succour to the affected families.

The Union Minister met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at his official residence on Saturday and took stock of the support rendered by the State Government to cap the blazing oil well.

Chief Minister Sonowal and the Union Minister decided to make a joint visit to the incident site to have ground understanding about the situation. Chief Minister Sonowal said that prior to the fire incident, the Tinsukia district administration evacuated people from the nearby villages and they are being put up in relief camps.

Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna, while briefing the steps taken by the State Government, said that 12 relief camps have been set up by district administration where altogether 7,000 people are taking shelter. He said that the district administration is presently carrying out an assessment to ascertain the extent of damage by the gas well fire incident.

During the meeting, both Sonowal and Pradhan talked to senior OIL officials and State Minister of Industry and Commerce Chandra Mohan Patowary, who is presently camping at Tinsukia, through video conference to have an understanding about the ground situation and the measures taken by OIL to cap the well.

State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of State for Cultural Affairs Naba Kumar Doley, MP Topon Kumar Gogoi, Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna, DGP Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta and others were present at the meeting. 

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