Port Blair, Dec. 4: Shri. Ajoy Bairagi, State President, Bharatiya Janata Party has written a letter to the Lt. Governor, A&N Islands requesting him to consider the plight of the Barbers of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and provide some financial relief to them.
Bairagi informed about the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the barbers of the Islands, who are one of the most affected communities. He mentioned that the barbers have exhausted all their savings due to the complete closure of their business for five months.
He also emphasised that people from other professions have also lost a lot due the pandemic but the barber community of the Islands have lost almost all their savings, which they had earned through great difficulties.
The Central Govt. has done its best to feed all the needy and the Bharatiya Janata Party has also launched several programmes on the national level to ensure that no one sleeps empty stomach. The State Unit of Bharatiya Janata Party, Andaman & Nicobar Islands have also been providing relief to the needy from time to time. The BJP State Unit has distributed thousands of ration kits, face masks, hand sanitizers etc. in the Islands.
The BJP State Unit has also provided the Barber Community with free ration kits but this step cannot alone help fulfill the requirements of the community. The Barber Community has approached the BJP and requested him to take up the issue of providing some Ex-Gratia relief of at-least of Rs. 3000/- per family.
Bairagi has thus asked the Lt. Governor to seriously look into the demand of the Barber Community and to provide them with some financial relief.