On Saturday, 24 hours before Mizoram went into partial lockdown in a bid to keep COVID-19 away, Serlui MLA Lalrinsaga Ralte travelled across nine villages in his constituency to set up 18 public hand-washing centres. He represents the Mizo National Front.
Serlui is in northern Mizoram’s Kolasib district and the nine villages are entry-exit points along the State’s border with Assam and Manipur. Five of these hand-washing centres, complete with soap and hand sanitisers were set up at Vairangte on the Assam-Mizoram border.
Vairangte, where the Army’s Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School is also situated, is about 130 km north of State capital Aizawl on the highway linking southern Assam’s Silchar.
“As a legislator representing a border constituency whose people are most vulnerable to any viral attack or disease that may come from beyond. In order to keep Mizoram safe, the people of my constituency have to have the sanitisation shield,” Mr Ralte told The Hindu on Monday.
He also allocated ₹10,000 for each Village-Level Task Force committees in the constituency to rehabilitate families who lack food and other essential commodities.
Mr. Ralte said that local NGOs have been asked to ensure that the plastic tanks do not run out of water while liquid soaps and sanitisers are replenished. A dozen unit each of soap and sanitiser procured locally will be paid for, he added.
