Coronavirus: Assam Excise department provides 7 lakh liters of hand sanitizers to NHM and state police

Guwahati, April 25: In the wake of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Assam Excise department provides around 7 lakh liters hand sanitizers to the National Health Mission (NHM) and Assam police to fight against the dreaded virus in the state.

The Assam Excise department has also distributed around 8000 liters hand sanitizers among the frontline warriors of COVID-19 free of cost.

At an initiative of the Assam Excise department, 11 liquor manufacturing companies in the state have supplied the hand sanitizers to the government department.

In one of the most innovative & dynamic initiatives envisaged by the Assam Excise Parimal Suklabaidya, the state Excise department has directed 11 major liquor manufacturing and bottling plants of the state to produce hand sanitizers adhering to the guidelines laid down by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

The liquor manufacturing and bottling plants of the state were directed to produce high-quality hand sanitizer (ENA based) on WHO-recommended formulation containing pure ENA, glycerine and other permitted chemical contents which is considered to be a first-hand weapon to tackle the infection of COVID-19 and to help the citizens to remain safe and protected from the same.

Accordingly, the liquor manufacturing and bottling plants were directed to produce 7 lakh liters of hand sanitizers packed in bottles of different sizes to supply to the National Health Mission, Assam and Assam Police at a very marginal and cost-effective rate of Rs 180 per liter, the commercial market value of which stands at Rs 3,000 per liter.

The state Excise department has provided around 7 lakh liters of hand sanitizers to the National Health Mission, Assam and Assam police so far.

Assam Excise department PRO Sailen Pandey said that, the state Excise department had directed 11 liquor manufacturing companies to produce hand sanitizers.

“We have already provided 5 lakh liters hand sanitizers to the National Health Mission and 2 lakh liters to Assam police at cost-effective rate of Rs 180 per liter. We have only taken the amount of laborer and bottling costs. We have also distributed hand sanitizers to the frontline warriors free of cost,” Sailen Pandey said.

The Assam Excise department has suffered a huge loss of revenue collection due to the ongoing nationwide COVID19 lockdown and it is estimated around Rs 371 crore based on recent trends of collection.

In last year, the department had collected Rs 2574.04 crore as a revenue collection including VAT on liquor.