New police check gate in Bhandari: Patton

Deputy Chief Minister, Y Patton and Advisor Mhathung Yanthan at the PHC Merapani village on April 16. (DIPR Photo)

Wokha, April 16 (MExN): Deputy Chief Minister, Home and Road & Bridges, Y Patton visited the inter-State border areas of Merapani, along with Mhathung Yanthan, Advisor, Horticulture and Border Affairs, Dr Chumben Murry, MLA 38 A/C, Deputy Commissioner, Wokha, Orenthung Lotha NCS and Chief Medical Officer, Wokha WC Tungoe on April 16. 

During the visit, Patton stated that a new police check gate will come up at another location in Bhandari for stricter monitoring of people and especially of COVID-19 “trouble makers” during these trying times.

A DIPR report stated that Bhandari subdivision which controls a wide area of porous inter-state border is a wall of health security for Wokha district and therefore, it is important to take measures on a war footing pace to contain the pandemic and prevent it from entering or spreading to Wokha district and beyond, he also said.

During interaction with the medical staff at the Sub Centre, Merapani, where the staff highlighted on the functioning of the centre since the outbreak of COVID-19, Deputy Chief Minister observed that given the nature of the area's location and the large number of population it caters to in health care service, the six bedded Sub Centre should be upgraded for which proposals be send to the concerned authority and added that COVID-19 preventive materials and all logistic assistance be provided to the sub centre on priority basis by the higher authority.

Speaking at the Merapani Village Community hall, he reiterated that the people living in the border areas have the continuous support of all the four legislatures, the government machinery and the district administration.

He assured that people need not fear for shortage of essential commodities as continuous supply will not be interrupted with every concerned agency doing their part to keep the public provided round the clock.

Advisor, Horticulture and Border Affairs Mhathung Yanthan, said that Merapani which shares its border with Golaghat district of Assam is being considered a hot bed for COVID-19 following which the State Government has sealed the entire stretch of the border area.

He said that the Central neutral forces, the para military and state police forces are heavily tasked in manning the borders and therefore public and NGO bodies are also volunteering their services to assist the district administration in monitoring people's movement of entry or exit around the sealed border areas and also checking on nefarious activities such as bootlegging and drugs peddling, etc.

Later, the entourage also held an interactive sitting with the Block Task Force, Bhandari on COVID-19 Pandemic at the conference hall of the Additional Deputy Commissioner Bhandari where Additional Deputy Commissioner Bhandari, Tiameren Chang, appraised on the under taken activities and suggested that under the current COVID-19 situation, using a drone surveillance would be helpful for monitoring purposes.

Dr Lawrence MO I/C CHC Bhandari apprised and highlighted on the medical team's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic under its jurisdiction.

Deputy Chief Minister and his entourage also visited CHC Sanis, PHC Baghty, Lakhuti and Sungro on the same day.