North Goa administration comes to rescue of stranded Hailakandi youths

May 22: Eight youths from Hailakandi district stuck in Goa owing to the lockdown got ration from the North Goa administration following a plea by the Hailakandi district administration.These youths from Sudarshanpur Part II of the district were working in a hotel in Goa. They said their employer has not paid them after the hotel was shut down by fag end of March due to COVID-19 outbreak.

Stranded without money or food, they were unable to return. Finding no other option, the youths appealed to the Hailakandi district administration to initiate steps to bail them out. Of them, Kawsar Ahmed Barbhuiya took the lead and approached a local media person Amir Hussain Mazumder highlighting their plight. The local reporter, in turn, apprised District Information and Public Relations Officer, Sabir Nishat and requested him to bring the matter to the notice of Deputy Commissioner, MN Dahal.

On being informed by Nishat, Deputy Commissioner Dahal took up the initiative to enroll their names under the Assam CARES initiative thus paving the way for transfer of a stipend of Rs.2,000 each into their bank accounts for the next three months. To lessen their hardships, Nishat, on behalf of the district administration, took up the matter with District Collector, North Goa, R. Menaka and requested her to provide ration and other essentials to the youths stuck at Simvaddo, Anjuna Survey No. 11.

The District Collector acted promptly and within hours arranged to deliver food items like rice, dal and packets of noodles to the stranded youths. Later, Barbhuiya sent a video to express his heartfelt gratitude to Deputy Commissioner Dahal, DIPRO Nishat and District Collector, Menaka for reaching out to them during the time of their distress.