Acting on Prime Minister NarendraModi's "Saptapadi" (seven steps) advisory, the Assam police on Wednesday promised to provide assistance to senior citizens in procuring medicines and delivering it at their doorsteps in police vehicles, besides taking them out of homes in case of emergency.Police personnel in every districts have been told to reach out to the elderly population in distress during lockdown necessitated by coronavirus, state's Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said.A helpline number will be given to the public for assisting aged citizens facing problems while staying indoor during the shutdownn, he told reporters here.Taking care of elders formed an important component of the PM's "Saptapadi" in his televised address to the nation on Tuesday for which he sought support of the people. The PM in his address had announced extending nationwide lockdown till May 3 to check spread of the virus infection."Police in every districts, particularly in Guwahati, will procure the senior citizens' medicines and deliver it at their homes in our vehicles. Any elderly person facing difficulty and needing to go anywhere for emergency purposes will be taken by the police during the lockdown", Mahanta said.Stating that police will strictly enforce Prime Minister's directions for firmly maintaining the lockdown curbs, he said, "I request the public not to move out in their private vehicles during this period".The police will permit only those essential services vehicles which have valid authorisation documents like identity cards, authorisation letter/slip, passes by Assam State Disaster Management Authority, he said."We have noticed that people with fake documents roam around in their private vehicles for personal work. Police will now be strict in not allowing vehicles movement without valid authorisation documents", he added.Police will take stringent steps against establishments and services exempted from the lockdown restrictions if they fail to observe social distancing, the DGP added.He said they have written to the Transport department to start a limited taxi service for convenience of public to move out in case of emergency without using their own vehicles.
