DIBRUGARH, July 8 - �Publicly setting deadlines one after another for repair of deplorable roads in the State and then practically getting thumbs down from the concerned department, is only exposing Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. It is very unfortunate that Ministers and officials under the Chief Minister ignore latter�s orders and directives.� This was stated by former Minister and Dibrugarh District Congress Committee (DDCC) president Atuwa Munda, in reference to the recent 30-hour deadline issued by Chief Minister for repair of the NH 37 near Chaulkhowa.
Addressing newsmen at Rajiv Bhawan here on Saturday, the former Minister said that the concerned department washed their hands off by filling silt and earth only at the deplorable road stretch near Chaulkhowa. �This speaks volumes of how much the PWD Minister and his officials listen to the Chief Minister. Moreover, the Chief Minister had also issued a deadline earlier for repair of all National Highways, which has been ignored. The 30-hour deadline was only for Chaulkhowa and Naliapool portion of the NH 37 or for other stretches too is however, not clear because the other parts of the road continues to be in its horrible condition. Instead of publicly setting deadlines and inviting dishonour on oneself, Chief Minister could meet the concerned department officials in person and reprimand them because general public is laughing at his orders,� said Munda.
The Dibrugarh District Congress president also demanded of the Chief Minister to institute an inquiry into the sudden halt in the improvement works of the Dibrugarh Town Protection (DTP) dyke drain. �The people of Dibrugarh ought to know why the project works were abandoned by the Madrid, Spain-based Company, Corsan Corviam Constructions. Was there any irregularity? Who is responsible or what has caused its halt must be made public,� demanded Munda.
The Congress leader further demanded an inquiry into the frequent damage of the road over bridge near Dibrugarh University. The road over bridge is said to have construction defects and therefore the government must inquire and find out the guilty constructors to bring them to book, said Munda.
While underscoring the affairs of the Health department, Munda said that Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) is being neglected. Apart from the number of vacant posts of doctors and nurses, some of the departments like Gynaecology, Skin, TB, Nephrology and Radiotherapy are functioning without their department heads. MRI machine, and CT Scan remain out of order. While the Health department is unable to provide doctors, nurses and other health staff in the existing hospitals and health centres, it is carrying on with the construction of more and more new hospitals. Several hundred-bed hospitals and model hospitals in the State are lying abandoned. Further, 100 tea gardens have no doctors and 70 tea gardens have no hospitals out of the 177 tea estates in the district alone. The health schemes under National Health Mission have also been derailed, he said.
The Congress leader has also urged the Health Minister to inquire and ascertain the recent claim of the Joint Director of Health Services that the forecast of Japanese Encephalitis made by Lahoal-based Regional Medical Research Centre of the Indian Council of Medical Research was incorrect.
On the pending revised minimum wages of the tea garden workers, Munda said that Bharatiya Janata Party-led government must ensure that the workers get the living daily wage of Rs 350 immediately. The interim relief announced recently must be given from January 1, 2018 and not from March because the last wage agreement had expired on December 31, 2017. The tea garden working communities must also be accorded with the Scheduled Tribe status along with others, receive landholding documents, get power connectivity to their homes, get housing facilities among others, said the Congress leader.
