Shillong (Meghalaya), April 13 : The Cabinet which met today approved the proposal submitted by the labour department to extend financial benefits to workers working in the unorganized sector.
About 1.2 lakh beneficiaries will be paid an amount of Rs. 700 per beneficiary per week during the lockdown period and each beneficiary will receive an amount of Rs. 2100 in total for the period of lockdown starting March 23 to April 14 .
The cabinet also approved the proposal to extend financial assistance to citizens from Meghalaya both students and working individuals numbering about three thousand individuals in total, stranded in different parts of the country due to the ‘lockdown’. Government will extend a one-time financial assistance to all of the stranded individuals at the rate of Rs.3000 per beneficiary.
The Cabinet also discussed about the restrictions to be placed in the State after the National ‘lockdown’ ends and has decided that lockdown will continue in the state from April 15 to April 30 . However , Inter-state movement will remain restricted. All inter-state entry and exit points will continue to be remain sealed throughout state .
On the basis of inputs received from deputy commissioners of different districts across the state, the cabinet has also decided that inter-district movement will not be allowed until such time as the Government feels necessary to lift the restrictions.
However, the migrant workers from within the state stranded in different locations in the state due to restrictions on inter-district travel will be allowed to return back to their respective homes in different parts of the state. Their transportation will be monitored by the State Transport Department along with deputy commissioners of concerned districts.
During the meeting the Deputy Chief Minister clarified on the opening of ‘weekly markets’ in the state, as was decided in the earlier cabinet meeting held on April 6 and said that the ‘weekly market’ was meant to denote ‘local village markets’ and said that the government has discussed and decided to change the nomenclature from ‘weekly market’ to ‘local village market’ to denote markets in villages where local produce in sold and bought by the local people.
In the districts of the state which shares an inter-state boundary with Assam, the respective deputy commissioners have been entrusted to examine the feasibility of the resumption of such local village markets in their respective districts.
The cabinet after a thorough discussion and feedback taken from different deputy commissioners and senior government functionaries has reviewed its decision to allow plying of private transport within the state.
Restrictions on private transport in urban areas of the state will remain until further orders. In the rural areas private transport will be subject to the regulation made by the respective deputy commissioners and the transport department.
The cabinet also discussed in detail the reopening of industries in the state and has directed the industries department to work out the modalities for the same.
