Lockdown: Assam to provide financial help to those stranded outside

Guwahati, Apr 13 () The Assam government on Mondaydecided to provide financial assistance to those people fromthe state stranded in other areas due to the nationwidelockdown, Finance and Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarmasaid.

A helpline number has been given where the peoplehailing from the state can give a missed call. Once that isdone they will be provided with a link to provide theirdetails, including bank account numbers, the minister said ata press conference here.

"We have been receiving many distress calls to bringback people from across the country but it will not bepossible now as inter-state connectivity is unlikely to berestored immrdiately," he said.

The exact amount of the assistance will be announcedlater after taking in consideration the number of callsreceived, he said.

However, he clarified that those who were workingoutside the state but returned home before the lockdown arenot eligible for the assistance.

"We are reaching out to poor students and workers whoare not getting salaries due to the lockdown," he said.

Piramal Foundation along with over 400 students ofAssam Engineering College (AEC), Cotton University and GauhatiUniversity have volunteered to engage themselves in helpingwith the application process, Sarma said.

The process will also lead to the creation of adatabase which will later "help us in ascertaining the numberof people who will return to the state in future and we haveto take precautionary health measures accordingly", theminister said.

After the applications are received, necessaryverification will be made by the deputy commissioners and iffound valid, the amount will be transferred to theirrespective bank accounts, he said.

The state government had earlier announced financialassistance to cancer, kidney, heart and liver transplantpatients from Assam who went for treatment outside the stateand got stranded.

"Family members of 919 patients have contacted thecall centre and we decided to pay Rs 25,000 to each patient,"Sarma said.

Money has already been transferred to the familymembers of 213 patients while the others found eligible willalso receive the amount soon, he added.

The Assam goverment has also offered financial helpto those stranded abroad while on an official or educationaltour at the time the lockdown was announced.

"We have already transferred the first instalment ofone thousand dollars to 21 persons who had applied and thesecond instalment will be paid by April 25," he said. DGMM MM