Guwahati, May 7: One of the two entry points to India along Assam’s Indo-Bhutan border does not have COVID screening centre rendering the incoming vehicles from the neighbouring country enter India unscreened.
There are two entry points to the neighbouring country — Gelephu gate at Chirang district and SamdrupJonkhar gate in Baksa district — along the 261 km long border that it shares with the four districts of Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region.
Though both the gates have been kept shut since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, goods truck movement are allowed.
However, while the Bhutan’s side has been maintaining strict COVID protocols that includes COVID screening of the drivers and contact-free unloading of goods and speedy return of the ferrying vehicles, a stark lenience can be witnessed in Assam’s side.
According to a police officer at Dadagiri Police station, about 70 km from Chirang district headquarters, where the gate is located, the truck load of goods come from different parts of the country and stay at 3-4 days for the Bhutan authorities to complete their formalities.
“There is no facility to test these drivers here on the Indian Side. They come from various parts of the country and stay here four days while the Bhutan authorities does the necessary paper work. They don’t allow anyone in without testing first,” the police officer said.
The nearest COVID 19 medical centre is at Santipur, about 10 kms away from the gate while no medical team has been deputed at the gate.
Assam’s COVID scenario has been deteriorating rapidly with over 31 thousand active cases and total 1531 people have died while in Bhutan, a total of only 1,161 people have been infected of which, only one person have died so far.
