Afternoon News - 18 March, 2020
05:11 Share

**State government hikes limit for indigenous landless people **- The Sarbananda Sonowal government has increased the limit of allotment of land to the state landless rural indigenous people modifying the Assam Land Policy, 2019. As per the new modification a landless indigenous family would get 7 bigha land for agricultural purpose and 1 bigha for homestead.

**Guwahati city braces to tackle coronavirus pandemic **- In order to check spreading of coronavirus pandemic different state government departments have been carrying out preventive and precautionary drives in a war-footed manner in Guwahati. The Health department on Tuesday set up temporary screening camps in busy areas of the city like Paltan Bazar, Pandu port, Guwahati Railway Station and ISBT. Likewise, the metro district DTO organised an awareness camp in his office premises.

**Citizenship Amendment Act, over 25 thousand people to get citizenship - **As per the provisions of the amended Citizenship Act people enterered after 2014 from three Muslim dominated neighbouring countries will get Indian citizenship. Accordingly, over 25 thousand people, who entered India from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan betweern 2015 and 2019 will get citizenship rights. Union Home Minister for State Nityananda Rai on Tuesday informed the Parliament that under the C(A)A 25,782 people are authorised to get Indian citizenship.

**Border trade with four nations continues - **India's border trade with four neighbouring countries continues despite the fact that the government imposed restriction on the people's entrance from these countries. In view of the outbreak of the Covid-19 the Narendra Modi government had imposed such restriction on citizens of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan on March 15. But the border trade continues with these countries, government data revealed.

**Covid-19: Dispur intensifies pre-emptive measures **- In order to check the outbreak of the novel coronavirus the state government has intensified precautionary measures. As a part of such measures Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ordered all the district authorities not to permit for organising any public gathering.

**Resentment in Congress over party’s tie-up with AIUDF **- Resentment is brewing among rank and file of the Assam Congress against the proposed move of the party to tie up with the AIUDF in the 2021 assembly polls and beyond. The evidence of such resentment is being seen in the WhatsApp group of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) where a section of the Congress leaders and members especially those from Upper Assam have opposed the move. These leaders are saying that the tie up with the AIUDF will have an adverse impact on the Congress’s performance in Upper Assam in 2021 assembly polls.

**‘Coronavirus might lead to drug shortage crisis’ Says Biplab Talapatra **- The Assam Drug Dealers Association (ADDA) on Tuesday expressed concern over the coronavirus pandemic. ADDA treasurer Biplab Talapatra stated that there is a possibility that the world might face a shortage of drugs as 90 percent of the raw materials to make medicines are exported from China. “If this situation continues for another one month, then there might be drug shortage crisis across the globe”, he asserted.

Coronavirus: Barpeta Xatra election postponed - Barpeta Deputy Commissoner has postponed the elections to the office-bearers of the historic Barpeta Xatra managing committee as a coronavirus precautionary measure. The elections were scheduled to be held on March 20.