COVID-19 crisis: Tripura CM asks businessmen, govt employees

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Sunday appealed to all wealthy businessmen in the state, including brick kiln and tea garden owners, to donate food and other essentials for the destitute, amid the lockdown imposed by the Centre to check the spread of COVID-19.

In his address from Doordarshan Kendra, Agartala, Deb said his government was striving hard to ensure everyone in the state was safe and healthy.

"I appeal to tea garden owners, brick kiln owners, businessmen, traders and government employees who can afford to help others to donate food to the poor and the needy in their respective areas," Deb said in his televised appeal.

The government will remember those who were reaching out to the poor, and return the favour, when the time is right, the chief minister said.

On availability of food supplies, Deb said Tripura has rice in stock which would last up to 76 days, wheat sufficient for 52 days, sugar for 15 days, salt for 24 days and petrol for up to eight days.

Meanwhile, Tripura's lone Rajya Sabha MP and prominent CPI(M) leader, Jharna Das Baidya, has allocated Rs 1 crore from her MPLAD fund for procuring testing kits and other necessary medical equipment.

On Saturday, BJP leader and West Tripura MP Protima Bhowmick donated Rs 1 crore to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. Earlier last week, she had also recommended Rs 50 lakh from her MPLAD fund for buying medical kits and pledged to donate a months salary to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund.