Lockdown: Buy essentials through apps in NE states

Itanagar/Agartala/Aizawl: Amidst lockdown, the Arunachal Pradesh government has introduced various Apps including “U Tell Us” and “Dukan Dada” (shop brother) to ensure the supply of essentials reach at the doorsteps of the people, officials said on Sunday.
Besides Arunachal Pradesh government, other state governments of the northeastern region have taken some fresh measures to maintain supply of essentials for effective enforcement of the lockdown.
An official of the Arunachal Pradesh government’s Food and Civil Supplies department said in Itanagar that to help people, the Arunachal Pradesh government has taken various steps to ensure essential supplies reach their doorsteps. Through the “U Tell Us”, “Dukan Dada” and “Mebuddy” Apps, during a stipulated period, people are asking for their requirements and the delivery boys taking these required items to the customers’ homes with reasonable charges.
In Agartala, the Tripura government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to maintain the uninterrupted health services and supply of essentials to the people.
In Aizawl, Mizoram Transport Minister TJ Lalnuntluanga held a meeting with Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, members of the Task Group on transport, officials of the Home and Supply departments and the Mizoram Truck Drivers’ Association representatives and discussed the supplies of essential goods into the state during the lockdown.
An official release said that the Chief Secretary told the meeting that as there could be no certainty of when the lockdown could be lifted and as food and essential commodities need to be ferried in and out of the state continuously, there is always a risk of contagion of the novel coronavirus.
The state government is also very concerned about the Mizos stuck in various cities across the country and a concrete procedure of bringing them safely home to Mizoram is being discussed with the concerned states and authorities, the release said.
An official in Imphal said that the Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, during the video conferencing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, raised the “issue of racial discrimination of northeast people in other parts of the country”.
“Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to ask concerned states to take appropriate steps to stop harassment of people from Northeastern India,” the official added. (IANS)