Shillong (Meghalaya), May 2 : A couple from Assam’s Hojai district could not be by the side of their dying son, Deepak Das , as their curfew pass was denied due to red -tapism .
34-year-old Deepak Das died on Thursday and the last rites without the attendance his parents .
The parents ,Kamala Das and her husband Subhash Chandra Das had come over to the pine city to visit their daughter ahead of imposition of the Lockdown .
Though the request to the district administration was a genuine and a serious one, the mother’s application for the curfew pass moved from the office of Extra Assistant Commissioner to District Magistrate to Deputy Secretary of Political Department in the Meghalaya Secretariat. but was finally granted only a day after his death .
The mother Kamala Das in her application to the District Magistrate , East Khasi Hills said, ‘ My son Sri Deepak Das was suffering from the acute problem of liver cell disease with hepatorenal syndrome and at present under the treatment of Dr. A Bagchi, Hojai, for quite some time now. The prescription of concern doctor & a certificate is enclosed as per the attachment for kind and necessary issue of curfew pass immediately so as to enable me & my husband to attend to my ailing son, critically sick at present…
“Since the health condition of my son is extremely critical, I request your good self to issue curfew pass for vehicle registration no. ML 05 L 6674 of driver Sri Ritesh Das (9863063291) so as to travel from Shillong- Hojai & back by tomorrow.”
The mother also stated that her son might require to be shifted to the Guwahati , and they being by his side was required t to save his life as there was no other guardian in the family for immediate medical care.
The certified copy of Dr. Bagchi, which was attached said : “I have examined Deepak Das…and found him suffering from chronic liver cell disease with early hepatorenal syndrome. The condition of the patient is very critical and may require hospitalization. Considering all angles, I think his mother Mrs Kamala Das who is in Shillong at present should stay with her son before any major event.”
The couple was finally issued the curfew pass on Friday, a day after their sons death.
The pass was issued to the couple only on Friday morning after the intervention of the state’s health minister.
“We came to Shillong two months ago to visit our daughter. Then, there was this lockdown. I faced no problem in Shillong. Everything was fine at my residence in Hojai. Suddenly, my son, who was in Arunachal Pradesh, was brought to Dibrugarh (in Assam) for treatment for his liver disease. Later, he was shifted to Guwahati. He died on Thursday and the body was taken home but we could not see him for one last time,” Kamala said in tears while travelling back home in a car.
The district administration said that District Magistrates have no authority to issue curfew passes.
“We keep receiving requests for vehicle passes but as we don’t have the authority, we connect the applicants to the Political Department,” a senior official of the government said .
According to the District Magistrate , M.War ,a number of vehicle passes had to be confiscated as people misused them in the name of medical emergencies, essential commodities . If the matter of medical emergency was within the state it would not have been a matter at all, the DM said.
Meanwhile Deputy Chief Minister, P.Tynsong has taken the matter very seriously and assured to find out why the mother was not given the vehicle pass.
He said that the Political department does not delay in approving the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for people who require to go outside the State for treatment as well as for the relatives of the deceased.
“As per the protocols, the office of the Deputy Commissioner will forward the NOC for issuing of vehicle pass to the Health department. The Health department would then send the NOC to the Political department after giving its clearance.
The Political department will immediately approve the NOC without any delay. The whole process is being done in a very fast manner as per protocol , The Deputy Chief Minister P Tynsong said.
He added so far the Government has not denied any person who requires vehicle pass to go for treatment outside the State and also for those who need to visit their immediate relatives who are not keeping well.
