Shillong,  May 31: The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) has asked the state government to help the people from economically marginalized section affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by way of providing some sort of relief measures.

“We urge the state government to find out ways and means to provide relief to such poorer section of the society during this time of crisis,” FKJGP president Wellbirth Rani said in a statement issued on Sunday.

He said the government is also requested to ensure that the farmers are not exploited by the traders in term of the prices of agricultural produce.

“We also demand that the government should make sure that vehicles carrying agricultural produce are not harassed while transporting the same to the dedicated markets,” Rani said.

At the same time, the FKJGP requested the state government to address the problem faced by citizens due to high cost of COVID-19 treatment by private hospitals.

According to Rani, this has affected the poor people to a large extent.

Welcoming the government’s decision to increase the coverage of the Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS), the FKJGP president however said it is unfortunate that many deserving families are yet to be enrolled under the scheme.

“We, therefore, urge the government to look into this matter and take necessary steps to ensure such poor families can avail the benefits of the scheme,” he added.