GUWAHATI, May 18 - Former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today called upon the Assam government to take proactive measures for bringing back people hailing from the State who are stranded in other parts of the country on account of the lockdown.
In a letter to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the senior Congress leader highlighted the �pathetic condition of lakhs of stranded people of Assam in different parts of the country�.
�They have not only lost their jobs and livelihood, but also whatever savings they had in their hands... As they have got no other alternatives they are very keen to return to their respective villages and towns as early as possible,� Gogoi stated, adding that he has also received distress calls from many people stranded in other places who have sought help to return to Assam.
He said that train services have been started to bring back stranded people.
�... but unfortunately in case of Assam, as far as I know, not more than two trains are running to Assam... We also need hundreds of trains for such people,� said the former Chief Minister.
He alleged that the State government has not been able to stand up to expectations as far as helping stranded people are concerned.
�The statement of Chief Secretary yesterday that Government of Assam has not received any formal information about the death of Ajit Saikia of Bokakhat in Delhi... The media has reported that he died five days before (sic) and dead body (sic) was lying in the morgue... I urge upon the State government not only to find out the truth of (sic) Late Ajit Saikia but also to arrange hundreds of trains for those (sic) stranded people to bring them to Assam as early as possible,� Gogoi stated in his letter to Sonowal.