The Assam government decided on Monday to provide financial aid to residents of the state stranded across India due to the lockdown imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Assam health and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the assistance will be provided to those from poor and lower-middle class families who are employed outside the state or had gone to other places for short visits.
“We have been getting lot of queries regarding people who are facing hardships because of the lockdown. Since it seems the lockdown will get extended, we decided to reach out to them,” he said.
Sarma added that there is no record of how many such people from the state could be stranded outside at present. He surmised that the figure could be anywhere between 50,000 to 400,000.
Those in need will have to give a missed call to a helpline number (9615471547) to get assistance. Once that is done, a person seeking help will get a voice mail and an SMS giving a link to update their details and bank information.
No decision has been taken yet on what amount would be provided as assistance. Sarma said the figure will be decided in the next few days based on the number of calls received.
{{/usCountry}}No decision has been taken yet on what amount would be provided as assistance. Sarma said the figure will be decided in the next few days based on the number of calls received.
{{/usCountry}}Till now, 21 persons from Assam stranded abroad have been given $1000 each. The next instalment of the same amount will be released on April 25. The assistance is being given to those who went on short trips, and not to those working or studying abroad.
Assam has also helped cancer, kidney, heart and liver transplant patients from the state who went for treatment to places across India and are stuck there. These 213 patients got an interim relief of Rs 25,000 each.
Till now, Assam has recorded 30 positive cases. While 29 patients are recovering in hospitals across the state, one patient died last week at the Silchar Medical College Hospital.