First special train from Delhi carrying over 500 stranded people reaches in Assam:

Guwahati, May 14: The first special train from Delhi reaches in Assam carrying over 500 stranded people from Assam in other states, on Wednesday night.

The returnees are mostly migrant workers who had started their journey from Delhi on May 12 evening.

The special train reached at Guwahati railway station on Wednesday night amid the ongoing nationwide lockdown.

Assam Health Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma was present at the railway station to monitor the transit of the passengers to their respective districts.

The COVID-19 response teams were deployed at the railway station for screening and health check-ups of the passengers coming from outside of the state by maintaining social distancing norms and following other government orders.

130 passengers were de-boarded at the Guwahati railway station.

On the other hand, the special train was reached at Dibrugarh railway station on Thursday morning, and the passengers from different districts of Upper Assam and neighboring Arunachal Pradesh were de-boarded at Dibrugarh railway station.

On Wednesday, 15 positive cases for COVID-19 were detected in Guwahati.

Assam has reported 79 positive cases for COVID-19 so far.

Assam government has made 14 days compulsory institutional or home quarantine for the passengers coming from outside of the state.

Assam cops come to aid a young girl who selling vegetables to help her family:

Guwahati, May 12: Besides enforcing lockdown, Assam police have also come to help a young girl selling vegetables, among many other needy people in the state who are facing many difficulties in this crisis hours.

In another instance, Dibrugarh police on Monday had gifted a moped to a young girl after her story of selling vegetables door to door on a bicycle to support her family went viral on social media.

Janmoni Gogoi – a young girl and a resident of Saphakati Ghogora Gaon of Bogibeel area in Dibrugarh district sells vegetables door to door on a bicycle to support her family including her older father.

Her father has been ailing since last eight years.

Janmoni had completed her Class 12 from Dibrugarh Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School and along with others her dream was also to pursue higher education.

But, due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown that imposed to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), she started selling vegetables door to door to support her family.

Her story with many photographs went viral on social media.

On Monday, a team of Dibrugarh district police led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Head Quarter) Pallavi Mazumdar visited Janmoni Gogoi’s home and handed a moped to her.

Dibrugarh police tweeted – “Janmoni Gogo sells vegetables on a bicycle to fend for her family. Inspired by herself respect & guided by our visionary @DGPAssamPolice Sir’s direction to transform ourselves from   police force to facilitators of economy, DYSP HQ  gifted the little entrepreneur a moped/bike.”

Janmoni Gogo sells vegetables on a bicylcle to fend for her family. Inspired by her self respect & guided by our visionary @DGPAssamPolice Sir's direction to transform ourselves from police force to facilitators of economy, DYSP HQ gifted the little entrepreneur a moped / bike pic.twitter.com/kncyhRQEr9

— Dibrugarh Police (@dibrugarhpolice) May 11, 2020

Dibrugarh police are winning hearts online after kind good gesture.

Pregnant woman taken to hospital on a handcart in Assam amid lockdown and due to bad road conditions:

Guwahati, May 11: Amid the ongoing nationwide lockdown in Assam, and due to bad conditions of roads, the family members of a pregnant woman have been forced to carry her to a government-run hospital on a handcart.

The shocking incident took place in Assam’s Bilasipara area.

The woman named Sahana Begum – who is a resident of Hatiputa 1 no village under East Bilasipara assembly constituency was carried on a handcart by her family members for several kilometers to reach a government-run hospital.

The condition of roads and healthcare facilities of the remote Char area (Sandbar area) is miserable and it was due to the condition of roads that no ambulance could make it to the area.

According to the reports, the woman when she felt labor pain, her husband and other family members carried on a handcart and traveled several kilometers and also crossed a river to reach Diparkuti Sub-Divisional Civil Hospital.

The people of such Char areas in the state are facing communication problems since independence.

The area is under the Dhubri Parliamentary constituency which representing by AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal.

A resident of Hatiputa 1 no village said that, the road condition of the area is very bad and the people are facing many difficulties.

“The family members were forced to carry the pregnant woman on a handcart to reach the hospital. They had also crossed the Gauranga river. We appeal the government to construct roads in the area and bridge on the river,” the resident said.

Assam collects Rs 100 crore revenue from liquor sales amid lockdown relaxations, hikes 25 percent excise duty:

Guwahati, May 10: Assam government has collected over Rs 100 crore as revenue from liquor sales in the state in the last five days after the liquor shops were allowed to open as part of the nationwide lockdown relaxations.

Assam Excise minister Primal Suklabaidya said that, the state government has collected over Rs 100 crore as revenue from liquor sales in the last five days.

“During the first phase of lockdown, we had allowed to open wine shops for two days, but we ordered to close down it immediately after many social distancing norms violation incidents were reported. Recently we have again allowed to open liquor shops in the state as a part of lockdown relaxations, but it is mandatory to follow all orders, directives given by the health department,” Parimal Suklabaidya said.

The Assam Excise minister also said that, the state Excise department has faced a loss of around Rs 300 crore as revenue during the lockdown period.

“Last year, we had collected around Rs 3000 crore as revenue from liquor sales in the state. During the lockdown period, the state has faced a huge loss of revenue collection. Recently, the state cabinet has decided to hike excise duty on MRP of liquor bottle by 25 percent. By this, we will collect Rs 1000 crore additionally,” Parimal Suklabaidya said.

According to the Assam Excise department data, on an average, people of the state have consumed 92.09 lakh bulk liter of liquor per month.

One bottle measures 750 ml and in one case there are 12 bottles and one case is measured as nine bulk liters.

In 2019, a total of 3,68,76,708 bulk liter of IMFL and 2,75,91,705 bulk liter of beer were consumed by the people of Assam.

Assam farmers face huge losses worth Rs 41 crore due to COVID-19 lockdown:

Guwahati, May 9: Assam Farmers face huge losses due to Lockdown. The ongoing nationwide lockdown that imposed to contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been severely impacting the farming sector in Assam.

The farmers of the state have faced a huge loss worth around Rs 41 crore after they failed to sell their produced vegetables in markets due to lockdown.

Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora also admitted it and said that, due to lockdown, the farmers of the state have been facing huge losses.

“The cost of loss could be around Rs 40.80 crore. This year’s vegetable production in the state is much more compared to the previous years. But due to lockdown, most farmers have failed to sell their produces vegetables in the markets. Our government is helping many farmers to sell their produces vegetables,” Atul Bora said.

The Assam Agriculture minister also admitted that, Assam has still a shortage of cold storage facilities.

“There are 36 cold storages in the state and many of them from the private sectors. We have newly constructed two cold storages in the state,” Atul Bora said.

The state has 36 cold storages with a capacity of 157906 MT.

According to the Assam government data, the state had produced around 69 lakh MT vegetables last year.

Many farmers of the state who had taken loans from banks and other financial institutions for farming, but they are now spending sleepless nights after they failed to sell their produces vegetables in markets or many vegetables damaged in fields.

Ajgar Ali – a farmer of the Kaliabor area in Assam’s Nagaon district who had cultivated watermelon by taking a loan from the bank, but he is now worried about how he can repay the loan amount.

“We are flood-affected people. Along with me 200 others have cultivated watermelons in around 1000 bigha lands on the bank of  Brahmaputra river. But a major part of watermelons have damaged and we are not able to find any market to sell our produces due to lockdown,” Ajgar Ali said.

There are many more farmers in the state who are facing similar problems.