Discused with PM about promoting Assam to foreign companies: Sarbananda Sonowal

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said he has discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the issue of suggesting to foreign companies coming to India that they set up their bases in the state. The state government has already written to the Centre requesting it to advise the foreign entities to make Assam their home in India, Sonowal said during a meeting with representatives of PSUs, industry chambers and tea associations.

"In view of many foreign companies expressing interest to migrate their bases to India, the chief minister said he has already discussed the matter with the prime minister," according to an official release.

The prime minister has responded positively on the issue, he said in the meeting. Industries in Assam accounts for 39 per cent of the state GDP, employs about 4 lakh people directly and 20 lakh people indirectly, he said adding that this sector has been severely hit by the lockdown. Tea gardens incurred losses to the tune of around Rs 500 crore due to the lockdown, Sonowal said and assured industry captains that efforts to revive the economy are underway.

"COVID-19 has posed an extraordinary challenge to the economy. The present crisis calls for an extraordinary response. The state government is very much concerned with the loss incurred by the industries and has come up with measures to check the economic slowdown," he added.

Acting on the Central government's decision to relax lockdown guidelines, the state allowed agricultural activities and functioning of tea gardens and food processing factories, Sonowal said. He said the state government has constituted an advisory committee under the chairmanship of retired bureaucrat Subhas Das to recommend to the government measures to deal with the issues affecting the economy.