Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced a relief package worth Rs 1.70 lakh crore to help the nation's poor tackle the financial difficulties arising from Covid-19 outbreak.
Sitharaman said the economic relief package will focus primarilyon migrant labourers and daily wage labourers.
PMGKY package
Under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY) which is a part of the relief package, at least 80 crore poor people will be covered. Under the scheme, an additional five kilos of rice/wheat will be given to 80 crore individuals — over the 5 kilo they already get — along with a one-kilo pulse per household for a period of three months.
The government will spend Rs 45,000 crore for undertaking thesemeasures.
She also announced that there will be Rs 50 lakh insurance coverfor each healthcare worker for three months.
UNDER DIRECT BENEFITTRANSFER
Nirmala Sitharaman also announced direct cash transfers for alarge number of affected people including senior citizens, widows, farmers anddaily wage labourers.
"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," Sitharaman said.
Wages under MNREGA will also be increased by Rs 2000 per worker on an average asadditional income to help daily wage labourers.
The finance minister also announced that three crore senior citizens, persons with disabilities (Divyangs) and widows will get one-time additional amount of Rs 1,000 in two installments, to be given through DBT over a period of three months.
She also announced that 20 crore Jan Dhan women account holderswill be covered under the relief package and a compensation of Rs 500 per month for the next three months.
Sitharaman further announced that BPL families will get free cylinders for three months under the Ujjawala scheme as well.
Meanwhile, collateral-free loans have been doubled to Rs 20 Lakh for women self-help groups underthe Deen Dayal National Livelihood Mission. It will help seven crore women.
Last but not the least, the government will bear the cost of EPF contribution of both employer and employee(24 per cent) for the next three months. However, this is only for those establishmentswhich have up to 100 employees and 90 per cent of them earn less than Rs15,000. This is like to benefit around 4.8 crore employees, Sitharaman said.
"Govt ready to amend the regulation of EPF due to thispandemic so that workers can draw upto 75 per cent non-refundable advance fromcredit in PF account or 3 months salary, whichever is lower," Sitharamanadded, So, DBT cash transfers and benefits will broadly cover farmers, MNREGAworkers, poor widows, pensioners and Divyangs, Jan Dhan Yojna accounts, BPLfamilies under Ujjawala scheme, self-help women groups, EPFO organised workers,construction workers and district mineral workers.
Sitharaman also announced that for the welfare of building andconstruction workers, the central government has passed orders to states to usefunds worth Rs 31,000 crore to providerelief. This fund is likely to be used to augment medical testing,screening and providing better healthcare facilities, said Sitharaman.
