Assam Governor to visit Udalguri: Is BTAD exempted from Home Ministry guidelines?

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi’s back to back visit to Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) region defying the COVID-19 guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Home Affairs raised the question whether the region has been exempted from the guidelines.

Governor Mukhi, 77, will visit Udalguri travelling more than 100 kilomtres from Guwahati for a meeting with delegations of social, religious, students’ organisations and political parties. He will meet the organisations on law and order and overall security situation in the region.

This will be his second visit to BTAD region within 10 days defying the Health Ministry guidelines for the people of above 65 years of age.

Also read: Isn’t Assam Governor’s visit to Kokrajhar a breach of health ministry guidelines?

On May 19^th last, the Governor had visited Kokrajhar travelling more than 200 kilometers from Guwahati by road for a meeting with around 30 organisations and the BTC administrators on law and order situation.

While condemning this, the former three-time Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had said that the violation of the Health Ministry guidelines by the Governor would ‘incite’ people. “He should have set an example for the people of the state amid this health emergency by following the guidelines,” he had added.

Questioning the government on the Governor’s visit to Kokrajhar, the Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Biswajit Daimary on May 19^th, 2020, dashed off a letter to the Home Secretary, Government of India, urging to clarify the lockdown guidelines.

According to highly reliable source, the Governor was advised not to visit the BTAD defying the lockdown which he did not obey.

Also read: Assam MP Biswajit Daimary writes to Home Secretary over Governor’s visit to Kokrajhar ‘breaching’ guidelines

It may be mentioned that the Union Health Ministry had issued an advisory listing some ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ stating the course of COVID-19 tends to be more severe in the case of the elderly people due to their decreased immunity and body reserves, as well as multiple associated comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. “Persons above 65 years of age, persons with comorbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of ten years shall stay at home except for essential and health purposes,” the advisory states.

Following the Centre’s directives, the Assam government also repeatedly urged the children pregnant women and people of above 65 years old not to step out of their homes to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.

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