Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today held a meeting with the recently constituted economic advisory committee under the chairmanship of retired IAS officer Subhas Das at Brahmaputra State Guest House.

Chairman of the committee Subhas Das said that after going through available data the committee would be able to submit a preliminary report within the next 20 days.

The committee would look at making systematic interventions through a holistic approach, Das said.

In view of the economic slowdownbrought by COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Minister sought recommendations andsuggestions from the committee to reenergize state's economy.

Saying that agriculture and allied sectors have lots ofpotential to generate employment opportunities and bring about faster economicdividends, Sonowal stressed on the need to provide market linkage to farmerswhile assuring them of minimum guaranteed price for their produce. Lack ofmarket linkage could de-motivate the farmers, especially young generationfarmers and therefore, it was necessary to make sure farmers' products were notwasted in the farms, Sonowal said.

Citing his experience of visiting Vietnam, the ChiefMinister elaborated on the practice of value addition to food products inVietnam and said Assam has the potential to capture the markets of neighbouringcountries with its agricultural products. He urged the economic advisorycommittee members to devise strategies for economic resurgence by creating amodel which reaches the grass roots through the panchayats. Informing that 58thousand SHGs in the state earned more than Rs. 900 crore by engaging inlivestock business last year, Sonowal emphasised the need to rejuvenate the SHGmodel for rural economic resurgence.