JORHAT, Dec 13 - The Jorhat district administration extended the 12-hour night curfew for the second day tonight in areas under Jorhat Sadar subdivision, which includes Jorhat town and outskirts under Jorhat East, Jorhat West and Teok Revenue Circles, while normal life remained completely paralysed for the fifth day consecutive day today.
Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Roshni A Korati, who is also the District Magistrate, told The Assam Tribune that the night curfew clamped on Thursday night in areas under Jorhat Sadar subdivision from 6 pm to 6 am tomorrow was extended tonight and is likely to continue for the next few days as a precautionary measure.
Korati said that the law-and-order situation was under constant watch of the district administration and reviewed within short periods. She said necessary steps have been taken to bring complete normalcy in the district with one company of additional Central paramilitary force reaching Jorhat.
The district presently has four companies of Central force (excluding the one company dispatched on Thursday) deployed in addition to Assam Police personnel on duty, the DC said.
Korati said that two columns of Army were deployed across the district on Thursday that carried out flag marches to instill confidence among the citizens and assist the administration in maintaining law and order and let peace and harmony prevail. One column was withdrawn in view of improving law-and-order situation, the DC stated.
The DC said that she chaired a meeting with different local traders' bodies and businessmen bodies and urged them to open shops by assuring deployment of police and other security personnel adequately to prevent any untoward incident.
Stating that there was adequate stocks of essential items for the next few days, Korati said that the administration has decided to provide police escort to bring trucks carrying essential items to Jorhat district which have got stranded on way to the district.
People were seen rushing to grocery and vegetable markets late in the afternoon and evening after shops opened with large number of police personnel deployment in the market.
She stated as per State Government's order all educational institutes in the state will remain closed till December 22. The Deputy Commissioner also added that dry days declared in the district since December 11 will be in force till December 15.
Fuel rationing: Responding to shortage of fuel in the district, Korati said that three petrol depots were opened in the town by providing police protection. She said that rationing to customers has been done in view of new stocks replenished in the past few days.
Three litres per two-wheeler and 10 litres per four-wheeler were allotted today and more petrol depots will be opened tomorrow by deploying policemen, the Deputy Commissioner informed.
According to a reliable source in wholesale market of Jorhat, the agitation against the amended citizenship act in Jorhat district was having impact in adjoining districts of Nagaland as all items (grocery, other essential goods, construction materials) are supplied from Jorhat market.
The source said as trucks have stopped plying to Mokokchung, Tuensang, Zunobhuto districts of Nagaland this week supply have remained suspended.
New SP assumes charge: Jitmol Doley today assumed charge as the new Jorhat Superintendent of Police. He replaced Vaibhab C Nimbalkar, who has been transferred to Police Training College, Dergaon as Principal.
Doley told this newspaper that no untoward incident has been reported in the district in the past 24 hours.
Akhil Gogoi sent to judicial custody: KMSS leader, Akhil Gogoi who was arrested on Thursday night by Jorhat Police, was today sent to judicial custody by a judicial magistrate before whom he was produced in the morning.
Meanwhile, normal life was completely paralysed for the fifth day consecutive day today across Jorhat district with business, commercial establishments, banks and educational institutions remaining closed while attendance in Government offices was nil and vehicles too were off the roads except for a few two-wheelers.
