Centre unveils major relief package for affected people
800m poor to get 5-kg of rice or wheat free for next t3 months; Rs5m insurance cover for healthcare workers; ministry confirms 694 virus cases, 16 deaths; role of armed forces praised
The Union government on Thursday announced a Rs1.7 lakh crore relief package for various sectors affected by the Covid 19 pandemic. Making the announcement, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that as per the Garib Kalyan Yojana plan, 80 crore (800 million) poor people or two-third of the country’s population would get 5 kilogrammes (kg) of rice or wheat free for the next three months. This will be over and above the 5 kg they already get.
Additionally, they will also get a kilo of their preferred pulse.
She also announced a Rs5 million insurance cover for healthcare workers, the frontline soldiers in the fight against Covid 19.
The Centre will direct the state governments will to use the funds under Buildings and other Construction Workers Act to support construction workers, she said. “It has Rs31,000 crore (Rs310 billion) in it. It has 3.5 crore registered workers. We intent to tell states to utilise this fund to provide assistance to workers,” Sitharaman said.
For the organised sector, the government will pay the EPFO contribution both of the employer and the employee (12 per cent each) for the next three months. This is for all those establishments which have up to 100 employees and 90 per cent of them draw less than Rs15,000 per month.
The Provident Funds Scheme Regulation will be amended to allow the workers to draw up to 75 per cent of the amount standing to the credit of a member or three-months wages, whichever is lower. This is a non-refundable advance.
The finance minister also announced a slew of measures including insurance cover worth Rs 50 lakh per person for sanitation workers, ASHA workers, doctors, nurses and paramedics, free 5 kg rice and 1 kg pulse for approximately 80 crore people through the PDS system, Rs 1000 ex-gratia for old age pensioners and widows for the next three months and a Rs 500 for woman Jan Dhan account holders.
The District Mineral Fund will also be utilised to augment medical testing, screening and other requirements to fight Covid 19.
Even as the economic measures unfolded, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi praised it. He said the Centre’s move to release a financial assistance package towards the unorganised sector workers was welcome.
“The Govt announcement today of a financial assistance package, is the first step in the right direction. India owes a debt to its farmers, daily wage earners, labourers, women & the elderly who are bearing the brunt of the ongoing lockdown.” The Ministry of Health, meanwhile, said the total number of Covid 19 cases in the country stand at 649.
“42 fresh cases and four deaths due to coronavirus have been reported in the last 24 hours. Total number of cases stands at 649,” Lav Aggrawal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry told the media.
He said the ministry has prompted 17 states to begin work for dedicated hospitals to treat Covid-19.
Punya Slila Srivastava, Joint Secretary of the ministry, denied “community transmission” of coronavirus in India.
“There is still no hard evidence to say there has been community transmission of coronavirus in India,” he said.
“Government is taking steps to ensure that production, supply or distribution of essential goods & services do not get affected during coronavirus lockdown. States are working to provide food & shelter to migrant workers.”
There are at least 633 active Covid-19 cases in India at present, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday, taking the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country to 694.
Besides 633 active cases, the country has reported 16 casualties so far while 44 persons have recovered.
The disease has impacted at least 647 Indian nationals and 47 foreign nationals and has so far spread to 27 states and UTS. A total of 103 districts have been affected by the highly contagious virus.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a review meeting with senior officials of Ministry of Defence (MOD) on the action plan of the ministry to deal with the COVID-1919 situation.
He expressed appreciation on the proactive role played by the Armed Forces and various departments of MOD in evacuating Indian nationals as well as foreigners from the affected countries and ensuring them proper care at various quarantine facilities.