Guwahati: IIM Shillong offers 116 rooms as Corona Care Centre to the Meghalaya government

Guwahati: In a statement the B school stated, “While everyone in the Country and across world is fighting against the COVID19, Government Meghalaya is also prepared to fight this ongoing pandemic and made one of its Corona Care Centre at IIM Shillong Mayurbhanj Complex Nongthymmai. The Institute’s facilities had been inspected by Conrad Sangma, Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong Deputy Chief Minister and Lahkmen Rymbui Health and Education Minister along with Senior Officials of Health department".

IIM added, “116 rooms were made available for the Corona Care Centre that will be kept open for 24 hrs. Shishir K Bajoria Chairman of Board of Governors (BOG) of IIM Shillong in his letter to Chief Minister of Meghalaya offered the New campus at Umsauli to the State Government".

Assam leader of opposition, Debabrata Saikia in a leter to Assam chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “However, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority(ASDMA), vide letter No.ASDMA/24/2020/19, Dated 28th March, 2020 to the Deputy Commissioners of all districts of Assam directed them to provide relief for a week to all wage earners, rickshaw pullers, slum dwellers and poor population only in municipal towns.

This Government directive has limited the provision of relief only to urban areas and, as a result, many rural people who used to come daily to urban areas to earn their livelihood and return home in the evening, are facing problems as they are unable to come out to earn their livelihood due to the lockdown. It is necessary that the inhabitants of villages from where these people come to town, are also provided relief as per the Government of India directive.”

He said, “Many labourers from other districts, who were engaged in road construction etc, are stranded at the project sites, including village areas. In this connection, I would like to mention my personal experience. I had received a report on 29th March that some labourers working with a PWD contractor at the Assam-Nagaland border in my LAC, under Na-Pukhuri Gaon Panchayat, are stranded and they are facing problems in obtaining ration etc”.

He added that apart from contractual labourers, daily wage earners, rickshaw-pullers and the like, those engaged in various self-employment activities such as running small eating joints, carriage of green tea leaves and other goods, barber shops, carpentry shops, paan kiosks, fabrication units, tailor shops etc, are now deprived of income.

Some of them took loans to start their businesses, which compounds their problem. A similar scenario is seen in the case of rural folk who used to sell vegetables and other items in weekly or daily markets.

Therefore, I think free ration etc ought to be provided to all vulnerable sections of society barring Government employees and pensioners, who at least have an assured monthly income".

“I must further mention that many people are facing scarcity of medicines because of shortage of stocks in pharmacies, or because they are reluctant to come out of their homes during the lockdown, or because of shortage of money.

There is a likelihood of shortage of medicines worsening in the coming days. I urge you and the Health Minister to ensure that production of medicines is augmented and also that medicines are provided free of cost to citizens during the lockdown period,” Saikia added.