Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal pays courtesy visits to deceased poll employees

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday paid courtesy visits to the residences of Pappu Bhuyan at Narayanpur and Hemkanta Gogoi at Panigaon in Lakhimpur districts, both of whom lost their lives on poll duty hours in the recently concluded State legislative assembly elections. Visiting their respective residences, Sonowal laid rich floral tributes at the portraits of the deceased. He also interacted with the family members and prayed to the Almighty for eternal peace of the departed souls. Union minister Rameswar Teli, Parliamentarian Tapan Gogoi, legislator Prasanta Phukan, BJP spokesman Rupam Goswami accompanied Sonowal during the visit. Sonowal also reviewed Covid-19 situation of Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts in the backdrop of second wave of the corona pandemic. Taking stock of the situation with district agistrates and responsible health and other officials, Sonowal asked the district authorities to take all precautionary measures to avert the surge of the pandemic. In presence of Lakhimpur DC Khargeswar Pegu, Dhemaji DC Jeevan B with others, Sonowal emphasized on generating more awareness among the public for vaccinations engaging popular personalities, ensuring availability of all medical facilities like oxygen cylinders, isolation beds, ICU with others to face all emergencies, creating micro-containment zones at local levels, etc. Meanwhile, Assam chief electoral officer Nitin Khade urged all concerned to adhere to the ECI guidelines on exit poll ban and to comply it in letter and spirit. In earlier notifications, the election authority specified the period between 7 am on 27 March to 7:30 pm on 29 April, wherein conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicizing by means of the print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner was prohibited.