In a first-of-its-kind relief measure that any state has done, the Assam government has opened a three-day window for the "conditional" movement of people stranded in different parts of the state because of the coronavirus lockdown. At least one lakh stranded people have been issued special passes for travelling within Assam.
The movement will be allowed from today till Monday (April 25 to 27), for those stranded in different districts within the state, to go to their homes. Employees who want to reach their districts of posting, and patients who need to go to hospitals on referral, have also been issued the passes.
Migrant workers stranded because of the lockdown have also been allowed to go to their hometowns within Assam.
This movement will be allowed strictly on the basis of the guidelines of the Union Home Ministry and special passes will be issued by each of the district authorities after verification of the applications.
Over 51,000 intrastate travel passes have been given to those who will travel from their personal cars; 12,000 passes have been issued for Saturday.
Over 41,000 people who don't have personal cars have applied for passes. The state government will run buses of the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) for them.
