Guwahati, April 27: The Assam government on Monday said buses of Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) will facilitate inter-district travel till May 2. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonawal. Earlier, the movement of people was allowed till April 30. The Assam government also decided to allow opening of standalone shops in areas unaffected by the coronavirus outbreak as per relaxations given by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Coronavirus Live Tracker.

Speaking to media, Minister Chandra M Patowary said buses of Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) will continue to ply for inter-district travel till May 2. "In rural areas which are green zones, all shops will be opened except bazaar and haats. Within red zone areas, the same policy and strict rules will be applicable," Patowary said. The state government has allowed stranded people to travel within the state during the lockdown. Karnataka Allows Industries to Resume Operations in 9 Coronavirus-Free Districts, Lets Labourers Travel Within State.

The Assam government has issued at least one lakh special passes for travelling within the state. While over 51,000 intrastate travel passes have been given to those who will travel from their personal cars, the state government will run buses of the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) to facilitate travel for over 41,000 people. All standard operating procedures and safety norms stipulated by the government will be implemented during the travel.

"This is not blanket permission for all people, but would be conditional. People can avail of this scope for three days only with the prior approval of the deputy commissioners. Those stuck in other districts can return home and such movements would be only single way for home-bound people and office-bound employees as most state government offices have resumed functioning with stipulated restrictions," Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said last week.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2020 07:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).