GUWAHATI: The Assam Government has provided financial assistance of Rs. 2 thousand each to more than 86 thousand people stranded outside the state amid COVID-19 lockdown. The total amount of Rs. 17 crore 20 lakh in the first phase under ‘Assam Cares’ has been disbursed today in the presence of Assam health minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma at National Health Mission, Assam office in Guwahati.
“Assam Government has created an IT infrastructure, through which we have reached 4 lakh 25 thousand Assamese people stranded outside Assam. Today we are extending a one-time ex-gratia of Rs. 2 thousand. However another instalment will be considered during the process of lockdown,” said Dr. Sarma
He also stated that the process of providing financial assistance helped the government in creating a database of the people staying in other parts of the country.
“There are 68,000 people from Assam in Karnataka, 36,000 in Tamilnadu, 34,000 in Kerala and 21,000 from Maharashtra. Through the database we can maintain the inflow. It will be helpful for us when they return to Assam,” said Dr. Sarma.
He also expressed gratitude to the deputy commissioners (DC), superintendents of police (SP), students from Assam Engineering College, Cotton University and Gauhati University and other helpline workers for their active involvement in the Assam Cares scheme.
On the other hand, the Assam Government has already provided financial assistance of Rs. 25 thousand each to 647 patients stranded in other parts of the country.
