"Will take care of soldiers' families": Assam announces austerity measures amid Indo-Pak conflict

Assam will adopt austerity measures in solidarity with the armed forces, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. He extended support to family members of soldiers from the state.

"Given the prevailing situation, the state cabinet has decided on several austerity measures, which include not holding any seminars, conferences, workshops, and commemorative events," Sarma said at a press conference to mark the completion of his four years in office.

He also presided over a cabinet meeting before the press conference.

During the next seven days, officials of all districts would be asked to identify families of the armed forces, form support groups and help them in all possible manner, he said.

"We want to take care of the family members of the soldiers till they come back from the battlefield so that the person at the war front is not worried about their families," the chief minister said.

Army and air force camps are there in Assam and other northeastern states where movement of troops is taking place, Sarma said.

"I have directed the district commissioners to be in close contact with the officials of the armed forces to facilitate troop movements," the CM said.

Though the decisions were taken in view of the India-Pakistan conflict, the directors general of military operations (DGMO) of the two countries later in the day agreed to stop all firings and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 5 pm on Saturday.

The cabinet has decided that coordination mechanisms at the district and state levels shall be activated for smooth movement and logistical facilitation of official contingents or convoys of defence forces, he said.

The district commissioners and superintendents of police will intensify coordination among civil, police and emergency service wings to ensure uninterrupted civic services.

He also appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony as people of all religions are in the armed forces, and ''we should not write or say anything that will affect their morale''.

''There is unity among the members of the armed forces, and the same should extend to the society at large. Pakistan is trying to divide us. We should not allow them to be successful," he said.

This is a critical period for us and not the time to ''invoke religious, ethnic and regional identities. We should remain as India and support Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the armed forces,'' the Assam CM said.

The cabinet has also decided that hospitals and health institutions shall maintain an updated registry of voluntary blood donors, particularly those with rare blood groups.

Fuel and medical inventories in the hospitals are to be reviewed to ensure adequate availability for emergencies, he said.

Ministers and officials of the state government will refrain from foreign travel or non-essential outstation tours, the CM said.

It has also been decided that officers must refrain from unofficial travel and remain within their place of posting unless otherwise permitted.

If required, government employees currently on leave, excluding maternity/medical, may be recalled as and when decided by the competent authority and must report within 24 hours.

All departments and institutions should display exemplary discipline, efficiency and austerity, reflecting the state's collective sense of duty and solidarity, he said.

The cabinet also decided that there shall be no procurement of vehicles, except in the case of police requirements, furniture or office infrastructure, while working lunches, official dinners, cultural functions, and entertainment expenses shall be avoided.

Large gatherings or physical meetings will be deferred or shifted to virtual mode unless related to essential services.

All seminars, workshops, commemorative events and conferences involving expenditure and ceremonies will be deferred, while non-essential training programmes or exposure visits involving travel will be rescheduled, the CM said.

There shall be no printing or publicity material, advertisements, or audio-visual content produced unless strictly necessary for public information, he added.

The CM also said that no procession by victorious candidates of panchayat polls will be allowed after the announcement of results on Sunday.