The Assam government will ease the lockdown norms from April 1st, 2020. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has allowed the plucking green tea leafs and production units of rice and flour mills will resume operations.
Sonowal chaired a cabinet meeting on March 30th, 2020 to review the prevailing situation due to the nationwide lockdown and novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. A slew of packages were decided in the meeting to provide relief to the people of Assam.
The cabinet meeting has decided to allow agriculture and farming activity with the necessary protection from April 1st, 2020 onwards. Trucks carrying essential items will be allowed to ply from April 1st,2020 onwards.
These sectors were closed down after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown on March 25th, 2020 to contain the spread of coronavirus.
In the meeting, it was decided that starting April 1st, 2020 onwards, 58 lakh (approx) BPL households will be provided free rice for which they paid Rs 1/kg previously.
“Poor households without NFSA and ration cards will be given one-time financial assistance of Rs 1,000. Around 2.78 lakh construction registered workers engaged in embankment construction will also get a sum of Rs 1,000. The construction workers and others involved have to adhere to the norms laid down by the Health Department,” Sonowal said.
The Chief Minister further mentioned that authorities of food processing industries and tea gardens can approach Deputy Commissioners to resume operations from April 1st, 2020.
Photo: Time8
