Lockdown unplanned, says All Assam Students' Union (AASU) unit

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The All Kamrup (M) Students' Union (AKMSU) has held the State government responsible for the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities in Guwahati since Friday. The students' body has also termed the 'total lockdown' which is to be effective from midnight of Sunday as an unplanned one. The announcement of the total lockdown in Guwahati has led the residents of the metropolitan city to go for panic buying of essential commodities, leading to scarcity of commodities and sharp rise in their prices.

A statement issued to the media on Sunday by AKMSU president Kusha Rongpi and general secretary Dibyajyoti Medhi said, "In the past two days the prices of essential commodities have been doubled or trebled. The State Food and Civil Supplies department and the Agriculture department have totally failed. The people of the State had to face acute cash crunch because of the series of COVID-19 lockdowns earlier. To cap it all, the people of Guwahati have been made to pay through their nose to procure essential commodities as the prices have been doubled or trebled. The government announced the lockdown without planning it out properly."

The statement further said, "It's unfortunate that State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has held the people of Guwahati responsible for the spread of COVID-19 in the metropolitan city. This is unfortunate. Most of the people of Guwahati have been obeying all instructions issued by the government to contain COVID-19 since March 24."       

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