GUWAHATI, May 5 - Former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that special schemes, including loan waivers, should be provided for the economically weaker sections of society to help them tide over the economic downturn brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown.
�Lakhs of people have lost their income after imposition of the lockdown. The government has not done anything to address the problems faced by daily wage earners, self-employed persons, small traders, farmers and artisans who have been affected the most. Neither the Central government and nor the Assam government has taken up any special schemes to provide relief to such people,� said Gogoi.
He said special schemes should be launched to alleviate the suffering of the needy families. �Such people should be helped with new schemes, including waiver of loans,� said Gogoi.
He also opposed the State government�s decision to suspend the MLA Area Development Fund in the first four months of the current financial year. �I consider this to be a wrong move. The fund helps in implementation of projects at the local level and the rural areas, thus bringing about infrastructure development, while also providing job opportunities,� said the three-time Chief Minister. Gogoi called upon the State government to roll back the recent VAT hike in petrol and diesel.
�The government should also formulate an immediate plan to save the local crafts of Assam which have suffered a lot on account of the lockdown,� said the senior Congress leader.
