Assam govt issues Covid SOP for management of Counting Observers for Assembly Election

April 25: Based on the detailed discussions with Chief Electoral Officer, Assam, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was issued for management of Counting Observers for Assembly Election 2021 in Assam. The said SOP was issued by Anurag Goel, Principal Secretary, health & Family Welfare Department & State Nodal Officer (Health), Assembly Election 2021 on 24 April. The counting of votes in Assam will be done on 2 May, 2021.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Counting Observers in Assam:

1. Approximately 150 numbers of ECI counting observers are expected to arrive in the state of Assam from 29th April, 2021 onwards.

2. All these Counting Observers coming from outside the State shall be tested at the point of arrival at the airport in specific counters earmarked for them and shall be allowed to proceed to their concerned districts.

3. The Observers have already been exempted from mandatory seven days home quarantine. RT-PCR results shall be made available within 12-24 hours of taking the samples.

4. Deputy Commissioners of six districts with airports i.e. Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Cachar (Silchar), Tezpur and Lakhimpur shall arrange separate counters for testing of Election Observers on 29th, 30th April and 1st May, 2021 at their respective airports as per arrival schedule of the Observers so that there is hardly any waiting time. These airports shall provide testing for all observers irrespective of their destination districts.

5. The concerned Deputy Commissioners having an airport shall notify a Nodal Officer for receiving, testing and reporting the results of the Counting Observers in a smooth manner.

6. The Deputy Commissioners of other districts shall inform in advance the Deputy Commissioners of districts with airports, about the arrival schedule of Observers of the respective districts.

7. Considering the large number of Observers who are likely to arrive in Guwahati, Smti Pranati Mazumder ACS, Joint Secretary, H& FW Dept shall be the nodal officer at Guwahati Airport. She will coordinate with concerned district administrations wherever necessary.

8. An Observer will be first tested with RAT and if found negative, the RT-PCR sample shall be collected and sent to the RT-PCR lab in corresponding district with airport itself on the same day and the Observer shall be allowed to move to his duty district immediately.

9. If an Observer is found positive in RAT, he shall be provided medical facilities in the nearest Medical College in Special Cabins or any other separate identified isolation centres kept ready in the arrival district itself.

10. If the Counting Observer is found positive in RT-PCR, after reaching the destination district, he shall be provided Medical Facilities in the pre-identified Hospitals/ facilities in the corresponding districts or in the Nearest Medical College Hospital as per facilities available in the district.

11. In this regard, dedicated Cabins each in Excelcare Hospital, Ayursundra Hospital, Appollo Hospital and GNRC Hospital has been identified and kept reserved for those arriving at Guwahati. Office of the CEO AAA Society, Assam shall coordinate In this regard (Sri Kamlajit Talukdar ACS, Dy CEO, AAA Society.

12. Similar arrangements shall be made in Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Cachar (Silchar) as per requirement by the respective Deputy Commissioners. A nodal officer shall be notified and his/her contact number shall be shared to the office of Chief Electoral Officer and State Nodal Officer for Health in advance.

13. AII COVID protection materials shall be provided to the Observer from the DEO. The stock of all necessary materials shall be verified and confirmed In advance and shall be provided to the Observer immediately on arrival at the destination district.

14. In case of specific request by the Observer for further RAT/ RT-PCR test before leaving the district, the same shall be undertaken on priority basis.

15. ln case of state level intervention, if required, Dr Lakshmanan S IAS, MD NHM, Assam (9435137819) and Dr Rathindra Bhuyan, Director Health Services Assam (Assisting State Nodal Officers) may be contacted.