DISPUR — Following widespread public backlash over traffic restrictions in Silchar, the Assam Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has issued binding directives to all District Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) strictly prohibiting the stoppage of ambulances and emergency vehicles for VIP convoys.
Enforced on October 1, 2026, on the personal instructions of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the order establishes a zero-tolerance policy against delaying emergency response services during official movements across the state.
Key Administrative Guidelines & Protocol Adjustments
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Unrestricted Emergency Passage: Administrative and police leadership have been directed to ensure that ambulances, fire engines, and emergency response units are granted immediate, unhindered priority over executive carcade arrangements.
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Reduction in Convoy Fleet: Chief Minister Sarma ordered the immediate downsizing of the Chief Minister’s official convoy to the minimum operational scale strictly mandated for security compliance.
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Statewide Enforcement: The CMO confirmed via social media that these revised transit protocols apply universally across all districts to prevent public hardship during official travel.
Context Behind the Silchar Order
The administrative intervention follows public outrage over an incident in Silchar where local police temporarily halted an ambulance transporting 42-year-old Rasaraj Chakraborty to clear the transit route for the Chief Minister’s convoy.
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Medical Clarification: The patient was admitted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), where he succumbed to health complications early the following day.
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Official Findings: Both SMCH medical officials and the deceased patient’s family clarified that the death was attributed to chronic end-stage liver cirrhosis and was not caused by the temporary traffic hold-up.
