Coronavirus: Assam govt asks residents stranded abroad to send details for financial aid

The Assam government has issued an e-mail id for residents of the state, who have been stranded abroad due to suspension of international flights in view of the coronavirus pandemic, to send their details for providing financial assistance, an official said.

An advisory issued by Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said on Monday that residents, who went abroad 30 days before the suspension of international flights from March 22 and are unable to return to their homes due to the coronavirus outbreak, will receive the one-time financial assistance of USD 2,000.

Such persons can communicate to the government at the email id: covhelpline.assam@gmail.com and also at the state finance department's twitter handle @assamfindept. The state government will soon announce the detail guidelines about the eligibility and process of availing such assistance, the advisory said.

In case, passports and visas have expired due to the ban on travel in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the persons can also communicate it to the government which will take up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs and the embassies concerned.

The state government directed all offices to take steps for proper cleaning and frequent sanitisation at the workplace and ensure regular supply of hand sanitisers, soaps and running water in the washrooms.

Heads of the government departments and offices are also advised to ensure that only 50 per cent of employees, other than officers, should attend office every day and the remaining staff should be instructed to work from home, officials said.

This arrangement can be made on a rotational basis, they said. These instructions, however, shall not apply to the officers and employees engaged in essential or emergency services and those directly involved in taking measures to control the spread of COVID-19.