The Assam government on Sunday constituted an economic advisory committee as a measure to revive the economy and arrest the stagnation brought about by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Assam registered a drop of 80 per cent in revenue collection last week in comparison to April last year, forcing it to announce a slew of austerity measures to cope with the situation.

The government last month met 29 eminent economists to take their opinions on how to revive the state’s economy. The economists suggested several long-term and short-term steps and advocated setting up of an economic task force and expert committee. The eight-member committee, formed by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday, will be led by retired bureaucrat Subhash Das. It will “study the various aspects of the state’s economy and provide recommendations to bring back economic buoyancy through systematic interventions”.

Assam Agricultural University retired vice-chancellor K.M. Bujarbarua, Gauhati University professor Madhurjya Bezbarua, associate professor at Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, Joydeep Barua, Rashtriya Gramin Vikash Nidhi executive director Amiya Sarma, ARIAS Society’s agribusiness consultant Gautam Goswami, state organising secretary of Bharatiya Kishan Sangha, Krishnakanta Bora, and journalist Adip Kumar Phukan are the other committee members.

Sonowal on Sunday also called on university teachers to devise a strategy to teach those students in rural areas who do not have access to Internet or smartphones, while at the same time maintaining social-distancing norms.

Various universities are teaching their students online. However, there has been a concern that a section of students is unable to avail the facility because they do not have mobile phone or access to the Internet.

The state education department has already constituted a task force to suggest the government for taking necessary action to continue education through an alternative arrangement as all educational institutions are closed.

Sonowal on Sunday held a telephonic conference with 2,645 faculties of 11 universities of the state to take their opinions about the prevailing situation.

The meeting was held as the students’ learning process had been affected by the lockdown. Sonowal underlined the role of teachers in the present scenario through increased use of technology as an alterative to classroom teaching methods.

“During these difficult times, it was important for the university teachers to keep the students motivated by keeping close touch with them through telephone or social media and providing them necessary academic guidance,” he said.

Sonowal took suggestions from university teachers about preparing the framework for continuing educational development in the state.

“Teachers are seen as guides of the society. To arrest the stagnation brought about by Covid-19 and revive the socio-economic condition of the state, the suggestion offered by professors of universities would go a long way in formulating action plans,” the chief minister said.