AGARTALA, April 11 (TIWN): Law Minister Ratanlal Nath on Saturday said that the ESMA bill is not to control anything but it has been kept for emergency situations with Transport, Supply of Petroleum Products, Postal and Currier Services, Water Supply, Banking services , Electricity, Food Proceeding, Disaster Management, Medicine like essential things.

“Our Govt’s first duty is to give safety to the people, with which we can not make any compromise. As you know, on September, 2019 we passed an ESMA Bill but it was just for pass, never applied on anyone”, said Ratanlal Nath.

“It is important to continue the supplies of medicine, fuel and other essential commodities etc for which this bill was passed. Now, it has to be known that only for these above mentioned issues the ESMA can be imposed, but till now, Govt has  not applied ESMA and has no plan to impose ESMA on anyone. Guns and Cannons have to be ready but has no plan to impose on anyone”, he added.

The Law Minister further suggested former CM Manik Sarkar to help the Govt and to advise the Chief Minister beyond politics.

The ESMA is already existing in Andhra Pradesh. Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra like states. 

Irrespective of Law Minister's assurance, opposition leaders and common public are afraid to speak out as draconian ESMA Act sealed public voice after State Govt's show-cause notice to protesting nurses at GB Hospital.