Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday held an interactive session with editors and senior journalists of 47 media houses in the state to seek their views and suggestions on the prevailing situation in the state during the lockdown. He welcomed suggestions like non-conversion of schools into relief camps for flood-hit people during the forthcoming monsoon as students have already missed classes due to the lockdown.
He also appreciated suggestions like the closure of rural roads in bordering districts often taken by people of other states to sneak into Assam and testing of police
personnel engaged in frontline work. Sonowal thanked the participants for their suggestions which he said would help the state government chart its future course of action.
Terming the media as conscience keepers and opinion moulders of the society, Sonowal said the media's conscientious decisions will determine the direction the society will take. He appreciated the role played by the media during the lockdown by disseminating correct information and generating awareness, besides acting as a bridge between the government and the people.
Sonowal, however, called on the media outlets to exercise utmost restraint while reporting about the administrative machinery engaged in the fight against COVID-19
as incorrect news could de-motivate frontline workers. Noting that he had travelled to the districts to motive the officials, Sonowal said that constantly reviewing the preparedness helped in ironing out several issues faced by different district administrations.
Due to high work ethics and a planned approach, Assam performed considerably well in containing COVID-19. The roles played by health, food and civil supplies, police, public health engineering, power and transport departments during the crisis must be appreciated, he said.
Sonowal said a guarded approach has been taken to allow certain economic activities to bring the state's economy back on track after COVID-19 is contained.
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