HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Jan 4: A day after the tragic accident at Balijan (Dergaon), which claimed 12 lives, Health and Family Welfare minister Keshab Mahanta on Thursday visited Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) to inquire about the condition of the 24 injured persons who were undergoing treatment at the hospital.
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He visited the hospital following the director of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
An official source stated that Mahanta was briefed by the JMCH authorities and doctors attending the injured about their condition, adding, “Four among the injured were being treated in the ICU”.
The minister was informed that two among the wounded have recovered completely and are likely to be discharged soon.
Later, Mahanta also interacted with the patients’ families and assured them that all the necessary assistance would be provided by the Assam government to ensure their speedy recovery.
He mentioned that the injured were receiving free medical services.
Four seriously injured were shifted on Wednesday of which two were admitted to GMCH and two to the Cardiothoracic and Neuroscience Centre, Guwahati, for advanced medical care.
Jorhat MLA Hitendra Nath Goswami, Jorhat district commissioner (DC), the SP, and the joint director of health service accompanied the minister during his visit.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Asom Sena Central Committee, led by its chief convener Bijoy Shankar Bordoloi, along with members from AASU, Marwari Yuba Mancha, visited JMCH and inquired about the condition of the injured people.
They distributed food among the injured, relatives or attendants of the injured ones, health workers and security personnel of the institute.
“If needed, the organisations were ready to donate blood for the injured,” Bordoloi added.
At least 12 people, including three children, were killed and 38 others suffered injuries in a head-on collision between a coal-laden truck and a bus in Golaghat district on Wednesday.
Among the deceased, 10 died on the spot and two at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya also expressed deep anguish over the incident.
Suklabaidya also ordered an inquiry into the accident, and asked top officials of his department to reach the accident spot in Golaghat district to extend all possible assistance.
“A probe will reveal whether there was proper signage on the road… We will take necessary steps and if needed, file an FIR against the responsible persons,” he said.
Meanwhile, hours after 12 people lost their lives in an accident while en route for a picnic, the Assam Police have issued guidelines for such trips, prohibiting movement in the dark and asking picnickers not to play loud music inside vehicles.
Sharing the ‘SOP on Picnic’ on X, the Assam Police said there should not be overcrowding in vehicles.
“No loud music on the vehicles to be allowed… There should not be any movement of picnic parties before sunrise and after sunset,” it said.
On the other hand, the Jorhat district committee of AJYCP staged a demonstration today at the office of the NHIDCL at Chirotia Gaon here seeking early completion of the much delayed four lane construction of the NH 715 (formerly NH 37) in Jorhat district.
The protestors shouted slogans against the NHIDCL and urged the state government to intervene in this regard.
They also sought complete adherence to safety measures in the ongoing four-laning construction work to prevent road accidents.
Expressing resentment over the extremely slow pace of work, lack of proper signages and protective measures, the protestors stated that several lives had been lost and many injured due to half done works in the last couple of years.
They further stated that two private companies awarded contracts to execute the project were terminated one after another in the past five years by NHIDCL reportedly due to anomalies in implementation of the project.
