Assam working on strategies to revive sectors hit by COVID-19 lockdown: Report

The Assam government is working on strategy papers with KPMG and Ernst & Young (EY) to chart a plan to revive various sectors, after taking massive hits owing to the coronavirus lockdown which has now been further extended till May 17.

The Assam State Innovation and Transformation Aayog (SITA) is working on a strategy paper for agriculture and allied activities such as dairy, fishery and veterinary with KPMG and on a strategy paper on the tea industry with EY, the Economic Times reported.

The reports were taken up in April and relevant data was shared through IT-enabled platforms after Dipok Kumar Barthakur, VC of SITA – Assam initiated “urgent action” for “effective and time-bound” strategy to take the development agenda forward, the paper added.

In line with this, SITA – Assam CEO Nitin Khade has coordinated with senior government officials and industry experts to also assess the socio-economic impact of COVID-19. This report has been given to the OKD Institute of Social Change and Development, which has the draft ready.

The final report—which will act as the action plan for the state, is set to be submitted within the first week of May, as per the paper.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

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A draft report of the KPMG strategy paper is also prepared and will be “finalised for submission to the government in a couple of days,” it added.

SITA has also tapped the Assam Chambers of Commerce to discuss along with FICCI, FINER, CII, ICC and other government agencies to work out strategies for trade, business and services sector.