GUWAHATI: The firefighting and lockdown against the novel Corona virus has apparently taken a heavy toll in Assam’s economy even though the state government has decided to release full salary to its over five lakh employees on April9-10 next before the forthcoming Ronagli Bihu.
State Finance Minister as Health and Family Welfare Minister. Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is leading the combat against COVID-19 pandemic from the front, said, “Economy of the state is not in a normal state and there has been hardly any revenue generation of late because of the lock down. Still the government has decided to give full salary to its employees on April 9-10 next unlike many other states in the country where government employees salary has been cut up to 50 % because of the emergency situation.”
The minister said the state government would utilise about Rs 60 crore that would be collected through voluntary donation of one-day’s salary by its employees to build one of the five Corona virus treatment hospitals that are coming up in the state in next three months.
As the lock down against COVID-19 has stifled income sources of many people in the state, the minister called upon each of the state government employees to help at least five poor/needy families of their choice after they receive the salary this month. “This way about 25 lakh poor families will be helped. It will be the best way to celebrate Rongali Bihu amid this crisis situation as there will be no celebration of Bihu this year,” he said.
“We are going to develop a website call “assamcare” where each of the state government employees can upload their photo of helping out such needy families. They can also upload such information at assam.mygovt.in website as well in the website of National Health Mission, Assam.
Meanwhile, Assam government has decided to provide RS 50 lakh health insurance cover to driver and staff of 108 Ambulance Service and staff of 104 call centres in the state during the period of fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
The state government will also provide Rs 1000 additional payment to the drivers and staff of 108 Ambulance Service in the state for three months.
The doctors and nurses in Assam who have been treating COVID-19 patients in the state since March 31 when the first positive case was detected in the state, will be quarantined for 14 days from April 7 next in Vivanta by Taj Hotel here at the cost of the state government. They have been engaged in Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Mohendra Mohan Choudhury (MMC) Hospital and Sonapur District Hospital which have been converted to exclusive centre for corona virus treatment.