DIMAPUR, April 3 - The Nagaland Government has released Rs 75 lakh to all deputy commissioners in the State in addition to the earlier sanctioned amount of Rs 38 lakh from the Chief Minister�s Relief Fund to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio announced this during a video conference with the deputy commissioners, Superintendents of Police and Chief Medical Officers to review the preparedness of the districts to curb the spread of the virus.
Rio also sanctioned Rs 1 lakh each for Naga Students Union, Punjab and Rajasthan.
He said an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh would be made to any health worker if he or she gets afflicted by COVID-19 in the line of duty, besides Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia announced for them by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.
Rio, during the video conferencing, said that though no COVID-19 case has been detected in Nagaland till date, the State has to prepare for any eventuality.
He specifically inquired about the public response to the lockdown, preparedness of hospitals and availability of medical equipment and essential commodities in the districts.
The enforcement of the lockdown in the districts had been largely peaceful and successful, as per the feedback received during the video conference. Several places have been identified for developing quarantine facilities and hospitals have been kept ready in case of detection of any positive case.
Rio was told that medical equipment sent by the Health and Family Welfare Department have been received by the districts, except for one or two districts which are yet to receive ventilators.
The deputy commissioners said that sufficient quantities of essential commodities were available in the districts.
Rio stressed on home delivery, especially of LPG cylinders, in order to avoid crowding at markets and other places. He also asked the law-enforcing authorities to allow movement of people in the villages, keeping in mind the importance of the sowing season for cultivators.
Rio thanked the tribal Hohos, NGOs and other civil society organisations for actively supporting and helping the Government in all possible ways.
Chief Secretary Temjen Toy asked all the deputy commissioners to find out the actual number of migrants and daily wage earners in the State and to see how many of them have been availing shelter and food provided by the Government.
