Covid-19: Assam Excise dept provides 7 lakh litres of hand sanitizer to NHM and state police

The Assam Excise department has also distributed around 8000 litres hand sanitizer among the frontline warriors of COVID-19 free of cost.

In an initiative of the Assam Excise department, 11 liquor manufacturing companies in the state have supplied the hand sanitizers to the government department.

In one of the most innovative and dynamic initiatives envisaged by the Assam Excise Parimal Suklabaidya, the state Excise department has directed 11 major liquor manufacturing and bottling plants of the state to produce hand sanitizers adhering to the guidelines laid down by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

The liquor manufacturing and bottling plants of the state were directed to produce a high-quality hand sanitizer (ENA based) on WHO-recommended formulation containing pure ENA, glycerine and other permitted chemical contents which are considered to be a first-hand weapon to tackle the infection of COVID-19 and to help the citizens to remain safe and protected from the same.

Accordingly, the liquor manufacturing and bottling plants were directed to produce 7 lakh litres of hand sanitizers packed in bottles of different sizes to supply to the National Health Mission, Assam and Assam Police at a very marginal and cost-effective rate of Rs 180 per litre, the commercial market value of which stands at Rs 3,000 per litre.

The state Excise Department has provided around 7 lakh litres of hand sanitizers to the National Health Mission, Assam and Assam police so far.

Assam Excise department PRO Sailen Pandey said the state Excise department had directed 11 liquor manufacturing companies to produce hand sanitizers.

“We have already provided 5 lakh litres hand sanitizers to the National Health Mission and 2 lakh litres to Assam police at a cost-effective rate of Rs 180 per litre. We have only taken the amount of labourer and bottling cost. We have also distributed hand sanitizers to the frontline warriors free of cost,” Sailen Pandey said.

The Assam Excise Department has suffered a huge loss of revenue collection due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown and it is estimated around Rs 371 crore based on recent trends of collection.

Last year, the department had collected Rs 2574.04 crore revenue, including VAT on liquor.

(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)