Pallab Lochan Das, MP from Tezpur in Lok Sabha spoke exclusively to The Sentinelassam.com on a lot of issues including how the Centre's Rs 20 lakh crore economic package is going to benefit the farmers, the small and medium enterprises and the people of Assam and the Assam government's plans for all those workers returning to their state.
Here are excerpts from the interview.
Sentinel Assam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Rs 20 lakh crore economic package. How is this going to benefit the farmers, the small and medium enterprises and the people of Assam.
Pallab Lochan Das: A sense of negativity, a feeling of hopelessness had kind of set in. People were apprehensive about the future, the future of the economy and the state. But the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and the manner in which the Union finance minister briefed us about the package, in a very positive manner explained the benefits for the micro, small and medium enterprises, it has set the tone.
If we look at it from Assam angle then you will see that there are a lot of opportunities. I think Assam is going to benefit tremendously from this package because Assam has a very good workforce, the ease of doing business concept has developed and the confidence among the youths of Assam to become entrepreneurs is picking up.
Assam is already doing and Assam has a lot of potential to develop micro, small and medium enterprises and cottage industries. What we now need to focus on is creating brands and markets for the produce and I think there is a huge opportunity for Assam in all these.
When our government came to power in Assam, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had begun the 'Advantage Assam' initiative to showcase Assam's potential and also attract investments into the state.
Our responsibility and role now would be to support all those youth who are keen to become entrepreneurs – support them with bank linkages, help develop linkages and markets and tap domestic as well as the international markets for the produce. We have to get actively involved to reap the benefits and not miss this opportunity.
Sentinel Assam: What about the plans of the Assam Government. We do know that several committees have been set up to reboot the economy and look at livelihood issues.
Pallab Lochan Das: When our government was formed, I too was a minister then and I had attended many of these meetings, therefore I know, we had discussed how we can develop agriculture, agricultural activities and develop every village. A scheme was launched – Chief Minister's Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana. Our plan was to give a Rs 1 crore package to the 25,000 villages of Assam which would include a tractor for all agriculture activities, ponds, self-help groups (SHG)s for entrepreneurs, rural road development and other such development activities. We were already doing these. What we were also focusing on is helping farmers do cultivation activities in clusters, brand their produce like bananas, potatoes, citrus products which are of great quality. Now we will focus on supporting and helping them to make the most of the economic package that has been announced. We are going to link what we in the Assam government have been doing or are planning to do with what the Centre has announced.
Sentinel Assam: I am sure your government also has plans for the tea garden workers who have been going through a bad phase not just now but much before the pandemic broke out.
Pallab Lochan Das: Right now, the tea sector is benefitting from the lockdown. If you see during this lockdown period the tea prices are at an all-time high. The planters they are getting their money and with that money we are hoping that the tea garden workers will get the benefit from this price hike.
The Central government and the government of Assam are jointly trying to help the tea garden workers. They are trying to ensure that these people get the maximum benefit. Assam government is very concerned about the health, hygiene and livelihood of the people of tea gardens.
Sentinel Assam: There is a large number of people coming back home from other parts of the country. This is a huge number and many people are concerned that this could push the number of COVID positive cases up. The state government has done a lot. But is there a cause for worry.
Pallab Lochan Das: I would like to express my deep gratitude and thank Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ji and Pijush Hazarika (Minister of State for Health) for working day and night tirelessly. They are just not taking care of quarantine centres or isolation centres being set up, they are also looking at creating awareness among the masses about the pandemic, how to best utilise and keep the government machinery active, keeping the health workers and cleaning staff motivated.
Now the bigger challenge for us is taking care of all the people – workers and students who are returning back home and what our plans will be for them.
Our first step and challenge would be to monitor their health and if after 15 days to a month, they are alright then our next step and challenge would be to look at economic activities where we can involve these workers so that they need not leave the state and they can support the state with their skillset and support their families too. I am confident, we will be successful in both.
Sentinel Assam: As an MP from Assam in Delhi, you must have been getting a lot calls from people, students still stranded there.
Pallab Lochan Das: Yes, I have got a lot of calls and messages. You all know that Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been personally looking into this matter. Assam government has already taken a lot of steps, we have provided financial aid as well and we are actively working on how to get all these people and students back home. Though I am not present there in Delhi, our efforts are on to bring them back. We are trying to bring them back in phases, be it from Delhi or from Mumbai or any other place. I am sorry for the discomfort and inconvenience they are having to face. I apologise for that, but our efforts are on and I assure everyone that not just now, even in future I will try my best, do my best to help each and every one to the best of my capability.