On Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an economic encouragement package worth Rs 1.70 lakh crore to help the country’s poor people to face the financial crisis arising from the COVID-19 outbreak. She said that this economic relief will primarily focus on migrant laborers and the laborers who are daily waged.
“A package is ready for the poor who need immediate help like migrant workers and urban and rural poor. No one will go hungry. The package is worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore,” Sitharaman said. This package will ensure a mix of food security and direct cash transfer benefits, which will guard the poor families during the lockdown.
PMGKY SCHEME
Under this Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojna( PMGKY), a part of the relief package, in which at least 80 Crore people will be covered. Under the Scheme, 5 kilos of rice/wheat will be distributed along with the 1-kilo pulse per person for a period of three months.
She has also announced that there will be an insurance of Rs 50 lakh for COVID-19 heros for three months.
In the press release, she stated, “Safai karamcharis, ward-boys, nurses, paramedics, technicians, doctors and specialists, and other health would be covered by a special insurance scheme. Any health professional who while treating Covid-19 patients meets with some accident, then he/she would be compensated with an amount of Rs 50 lakh under the scheme.”
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Under Direct Benefit Transfer
Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman also announce that there will be a direct cash transfer for a huge number of affected people including senior Citizens, farmers, widows and laborers.
She said “8.69 crore farmers to be immediately benefited through direct cash transfers under Kisan Samman Nidhi. Installment of Rs 2,000 in the first week of April will be transferred.”
Wages under MNREGA will also increase by Rs 2000 per worker on average. She also added that three crore senior citizens, persons with disabilities and widows will get Rs 1000 as one-time the additional amount in two installments will be given through DBT over a period of three months . and BPL families will get free cylinders for 3 months.