GUWAHATI, April 7 - The Assam Council of Ministers today decided to go for salary cut of the ministers and legislators in view of the COVID-19 outbreak. The meeting also decided that the State government would not take any decision on withdrawal of the lockdown period and it would abide by the decisions of the Centre.
Official sources said the Council of Ministers, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal this afternoon, decided to go for a 30 per cent salary cut of all the ministers and MLAs for a period of one year. The money collected from the salary cut will be utilised for fight against COVID-19.
The meeting also decided that the State government would follow the directions of the Central government on withdrawal of the lockdown. As the lockdown is scheduled to continue up to April 14, the State Council of Ministers will meet again on April 12 to discuss about the directives that would come from the Centre by that time.
The State government will not issue any directive on its own on the lockdown and the directives issued by the Centre would be implemented by giving stress on maintaining social distance. The deputy commissioners have also been instructed to ensure that everyone maintains social distance.
The State government has already extended the insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh each to the health and police department employees who are engaged in fighting the COVID-19 scourge. The employees of other departments, including the Assam State Transport Corporation and power, who are directly involved with fighting the disease, will also be brought under the purview of the insurance scheme.
The meeting decided that the beneficiaries of the Swahid Kushal Konwar old-age pension scheme and other such schemes would continue to receive the benefits regularly. It also decided to provide help to the poor people who do not have cards under the Food Security Act.
