SHILLONG, May 28: Just hours after the state government extended the lockdown in East Khasi Hills till 5am of June 7, albeit with some relaxations, Opposition Chief Whip PT Sawkmie has asked the government to examine and adopt the Assam model of lockdown and permit shops to open for some hours in the morning.
Referring to the restrictions being imposed in Guwahati where all shops are permitted to open from 5 am till 11 am, Sawkmie said, “My suggestion is that we should adopt the same model and allow shops here to remain open from 6am till 11am or 12 noon to enable people to earn their livelihood.”
Asserting that lack of economic activities has affected people, he said, “The government says they have enough stock of essential commodities but the ground reality is that people don’t have money to buy them.”
“People have been cooperating with the government for a long time now. It is time now for the government to start thinking about them,” he said.