By Express News Service
GUWAHATI: The Assam Cabinet on Thursday decided that the Chief Minister’s convoy in Guwahati will be limited to six cars and 12 in other areas and districts, excluding escort and pilot.
The cabinet also decided that the movement of ambulances will get precedence over the CM’s convoy and will not be stopped.
According to the decisions, traffic will not be disrupted beforehand during the CM’s road travel. If required, it may be paused for a period not exceeding two minutes.
“To end public inconvenience, we decided at the #AssamCabinet to reduce CM carcade size and stop halting traffic for long during CM’s travel,” CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.
At a recent conference of superintendents of police, he had stated: “I will feel privileged if I can visit a place in a district without security and interact with people or go out on a morning walk with them. But if I am surrounded by commandos, it is a gentle reminder that the law and order situation in the district is not good.”
Just days later, he had stirred a hornet’s nest by publicly scolding the Nagaon district magistrate for allegedly halting traffic on a highway for the CM’s convoy to pass.
Meanwhile, the cabinet also decided that the practice of felicitations and offer of gifts to the CM, ministers and senior officials during any official function will be discontinued. However, visiting dignitaries will be provided with proper courtesy.
During official tours and public programmes, the ministers will provide information only on schemes that are already a part of the Budget or any other government announcement.
“In the interest of financial prudence, the CM and the ministers will not make any fresh announcements without taking into consideration availability of adequate financial resources. However, after consulting departments, schemes can be taken up as per request made during the function,” Sarma further wrote on Twitter sharing the cabinet’s decisions.
The cabinet also decided that the state election commission will conduct municipal elections before March 10 this year.
