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Guwahati: Assam Finance and Health Minister today said that the Assam State Government wishes to continue the ongoing night curfew beyond the current phase of the lockdown which will come to an end on May 31.
"Except the night curfew, we are okay with everything. We want night curfew to continue. In regards to the rest of the restrictions, I think we should let life return to normal", Sarma said in a press briefing in Guwahati. "Even if the night curfew is observed from 9 pm onwards instead of 9, we will be okay with that", Sarma added further.
However, Sarma added that the decisions in this regard will be taken solely by the Central Government. "We cannot give any definite answers right now in regards to the relaxations because the decision will be taken at the Prime Ministerial level", Sarma informed.
A phased relaxation of lockdown restrictions:
Biswa Sarma has also hinted that the relaxations will be made in a "phased manner". "The message of social distancing has been conveyed to the people; people have been seen wearing masks. Be it opening of shopping malls or schools and colleges, I have no problem with that. We are ready to slowly inch towards normalcy, albeit in a phased manner."
Sarma said that when schools are re-opened, initially classes 10 and 12 will be opened. Then, classes 9 and 11 will be allowed. "When we open shopping malls, we will open 50% of the shopping mall's shops. When people become habituated with the flow of life in this manner, we can progress to a 100% resumption", Sarma said.
It is pertinent to mention here that a night curfew has been clamped in Assam ever since the coronavirus-triggered lockdown came into effect on March 25. When the lockdown entered its fourth phase on May 18, Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna, as a part of his directives, ordained that all activities shall remain prohibited from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am, except for essential activities.