Following the Centre’s decision to cut 30 per cent salary of all MPs for one year to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the Assam Council of Ministers chaired by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal decided to deduct salaries of Ministers and MLAs to fight against novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Council of Ministers has decided to deduct salaries of Ministers and MLAs by 30 per cent for one year to aid the government’s efforts to tide over the crisis.
The Union Cabinet on April 6th, 2020 approved an ordinance to reduce the salaries, allowances and pensions of Members of Parliament by 30 per cent for one year and the amount will be utilised in the fight against coronavirus.
The President, Vice President, governors of states have also voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as a social responsibility.
The Assam Council of Ministers has decided to add 50 more beneficiaries per GP for the Rs 1,000 one-time assistance scheme to poor non-NFSA cardholders. No Panchayat representative or their family members will be included in the beneficiary list.
The Council of Ministers has also decided to extend the special health insurance coverage of Rs 50 lakh for those fighting COVID-19 at the frontlines to Government and PSU employees as well as employees of private hospitals who have signed MoU with Assam government.
The Union Cabinet also approved temporary suspension of MPLAD (Member of Parliament local Area Development) fund scheme during 2020-21 and 2021-22.
The funds will be used for managing health services and the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
CM Sonowal telephones senior leaders and former Chief Ministers
Sonowal made telephone calls to the Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, former Chief Ministers Tarun Gogoi, Bhumidhar Barman, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Leader of AIUDF Legislative Party Hafiz Bashir Ahmed (Qasimi), former Union Ministers Bijaya Chakrabarty, Kabindra Purkayastha, Rajen Gohain, Paban Singh Ghatowar, Chairman of State Senior Citizen Welfare Board Harekrishna Bharali, President of Sadou Asom Mukti Jujaru Sanmilan Krishna Lahkar among others and took their views about the prevailing situation and the State Government’s efforts to contain the Coronavirus outbreak.
The Chief Minister informed them about various measures undertaken by the State Government like setting up of 1,000 bedded quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients at Sarusajai Stadium.
He also informed them about making the medical colleges capable of handling the Coronavirus patients, plans for setting up five prefabricated COVID-19 hospitals at Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Lakhimpur, Silchar and Bongaigaon, training for doctors and paramedical staffs etc.
Sonowal also informed the senior politicians about the steps taken by the State Government to provide free rice to 58 lakh families of Assam under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) during these times of crisis.
Photo credit: /SarbanandaSonowal/
