JORHAT, June 12 - The Jorhat district administration swung into action after around 40 persons from Karbi Anglong district employed as sanitation workers and cleaners at the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital reportedly fled on Sunday after allegedly receiving threat calls from unknown persons.
The administration has directed the police to inquire whether any threat was issued to the workers, engaged by private contractors in the JMCH, which led to their mass exodus.
Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Narayan Konwar told The Assam Tribune that he along with senior officials of the district administration visited JMCH and took stock of the situation.
Konwar said that contractors who had employed the workers have told him that a few workers were scheduled to visit their homes currently in Karbi Anglong for some days and were already paid their dues.
Quoting the contractors, the DC said that on Sunday afternoon some other workers from Karbi Anglong too wished to go back home after they said they were threatened by some unidentified people to leave Jorhat.
Altogether, about 40 people working in JMCH left for home in Karbi Anglong, Konwar said, adding that the fleeing workers had not taken along their entire belongings as they assured the contractors of coming back once the situation limped back to normalcy.
�I have asked police to carry out a thorough investigation into allegations of issuing threat to the workers and take strong action as per law against persons found to be guilty, and also for spreading rumours,� Konwar said.
The DC said that on Sunday evening he chaired a meeting with civil and police officials, which was attended by Jorhat Superintendent of Police V Nimbalkar, to review the law and order situation.
He said the Cyber Cell of Jorhat district police was closely monitoring social media platforms and will initiate strict action if any person was found uploading offensive posts and circulated rumours to instigate violence.
In the evening, the DC visited several local educational institutions like Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat Engineering College, Prince of Wales Institute of Engineering and Technology and spoke to students of Karbi Anglong studying in the institutes and assured them of providing full security by the administration.
The authorities of the institutes were asked to keep vigil within the campuses to prevent anti-social elements from trying to foment trouble. He said that police patrolling round the clock in the vicinity of the institutes have been intensified to maintain public order and peace.
Konwar held a meeting on Monday with several social and students� organisations and sought their cooperation in maintaining peace and harmony.
The organisations were told to be careful and remain alert while taking out any protests (after obtaining permission) as anti-social elements might try to foment trouble during such activities.
