The Assam government on Tuesday decided to cut 30 per cent of salaries of all ministers and legislators for a year and spend the amount on treatment of Covid-19 patients. It also decided to follow the Centre’s guidelines on the lockdown and not issue any instruction on its own.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the council of ministers held here in view of the pandemic. So far, 27 people from Assam have tested positive for Covid-19.

Some changes were also made on the number of beneficiaries who will be given Rs 1,000 if they do not have cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Altogether 150 families in a panchayat (as against 100 decided in an earlier cabinet meeting) with population of 5,000 or less, will get Rs 1,000 each.

Similarly, the scheme will cover 200 families in a panchayat with population between 5,000 and 10,000, 250 families in panchayats having population above 10,000 to 15,000, 350 families in panchayats with population between 15,000 and 25,000 and 150 families in town committees. Panchayat and zila parishad members are not eligible for the scheme even if they do not have NFSA cards.

A government statement said Dispur will not issue any guidelines regarding the lockdown and go by the Centre’s instructions. “However, the deputy commissioners will have to use the social distancing norms while implementing these instructions,” it said.

Those in the power department and Assam State Transport Corporation, who have been working in fighting Covid-19, will also be covered under the Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme. Earlier, only police and health department employees were included.

However, the statement did not mention any decision regarding agriculture though agriculture minister Atul Bora on Monday said he would raise some concerns of the farmers in the meeting.

Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia on Tuesday said the Centre’s decision to shelve the MP local area development schemes for this fiscal and the next was “unnecessary and disappointing”.

Sonowal move

Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday called up former chief ministers, leaders of Opposition parties and Union ministers to take their views on the state government’s efforts to contain the pandemic.

Sonowal called Saikia, former chief ministers Tarun Gogoi, Bhumidhar Barman, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, AIUDF Legislature Party leader Hafiz Bashir Ahmed (Qasimi), former Union ministers Bijoya Chakravarty, Kabindra Purkayastha, Rajen Gohain, Paban Singh Ghatowar, State Senior Citizen Welfare Board chairman Harekrishna Bharali and Sadou Asom Mukti Jujaru Sanmilan president Krishna Lahkar, among others.

“The chief minister informed them about the measures undertaken by the state government like setting up of 1,000-bed quarantine facility for Covid-19 patients at Sarusajai stadium, making medical colleges capable of handling the coronavirus patients, plans for setting up five prefabricated Covid-19 hospitals at Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Lakhimpur, Silchar and Bongaigaon and training for doctors and paramedical staff. He also informed senior politicians about the steps taken by the government to provide free rice to 58 lakh families of Assam under the National Food Security Act during these times of crisis,” said a statement.

Sonowal also said the government was “fully prepared” to tackle the steep rise in Covid-19 patients.

He also requested them to appeal to their followers to maintain social distancing and other protocols during the lockdown.