Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana-another attack on COVID19
1.7 lakh Crore package of the Government of India to financially protect the most vulnerable during this emergency.
Background:
The
Indian Government has announced a Rs 1.7 Lakh Crore package to help tide over
the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced the entire nation into an unprecedented
lock-down. It will provide free food and cash transfers to support the poorest
Indians, the category which is most vulnerable in the ongoing crisis.
By now,
it must be clear to every sensible citizen that the lock-down couldn’t have been
avoided. The lock-down or quarantine also creates some breathing space to convince people of the seriousness of
the situation and build positive public opinion, carry out disinfection of all
buildings, vehicles and surfaces, and allows hospitals to prepare themselves
for the next phase of operations.
But on the other hand, it has led
to a lot of hardships and uncertainty for people who belong to the unorganized
sectors and people who work on daily wages. You may try to check out one of my
personal experience here
or
the Facebook post on my
page here:
Here
is some news on the situation:
The
Government of the day has come up with the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana with
a whopping package of Rs1.7 Lakh Crore to provide some relief in this
catastrophic situation.
The Scheme:
The main highlights of the PMGKY scheme are
- Doubling of the food grain ration for about 80 crore poor people for the next three months, supplemented by a kg of local pulses.
- Rs.50
lakh medical insurance cover for the next three months for about 22
lakh health workers in government hospitals fighting the spread of the virus at
personal risk. It will include ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist)
workers, medical sanitary workers in government hospitals, paramedics and
unquestionably nurses and doctors.
Detailed benefits that are entailed in the scheme as follows:
- Food grains support: Under the scheme,
for next three months, each person will get additional 5 kg wheat
or rice for free, in addition to 5 kg per month already alloted under PDS.
One kg of pulses will be provided per household, which will vary according to
regional preferences.
- Cash transfers, based on direct benefit transfer(DBT): This will be provided
to farmers, MGNREGA workers, poor widows, pensioners and disabled people, women
with Jan Dhan Yojana accounts, women beneficiaries under Ujjwala scheme, women
self-help groups, unorganized sector workers, construction workers, district
mineral fund.
- The first instalment of PM-KISAN for 2020-21, which is Rs.2,000, will be given in April itself. As many as 69 crore farmers are likely to get immediate benefit.
- The wages of MGNREGA workers has been increased from
Rs. 182 to ₹202 per day. This
will benefit 5 crore families, and will result in an additional ₹2,000 given per worker. Social distancing norms must
be followed at MGNREGA worksites during this period.
- For poor pensioners, widows and disabled, govt will
give ex-gratia, one time amount of ₹1,000 in two
instalments over next three months. Expected to benefit 3 crore poor people
above 60 years, widows and disabled people.
- For 20 crore women with Jan Dhan Yojana accounts, an
ex-gratia amount of ₹500 per month for
next three months will be given, so they can run the affairs of their
households.
- For poor pensioners, widows and disabled,
govt will give ex-gratia, one time amount of ₹1,000 in two instalments over next three months.
Expected to benefit 3 crore poor people above 60 years, widows and disabled
people.
- For 20 crore women with Jan Dhan Yojana accounts, an
ex-gratia amount of ₹500 per month for
next three months will be given, so they can run the affairs of their
households.
- For the beneficiaries of Ujjwala scheme who were given free gas (LPG) connections, govt will give free gas cylinders for three months. It will benefit 8.3 crore BPL families.
- There are 63 lakh Women self help groups which
benefit seven crore households. Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission,
they get up to ₹10 lakh collateral
free loans. It will now be doubled to ₹20 lakh, so that
they will have money in hand without worry about collateral.
- For organized sector workers, Centre
will pay EPF contribution of both employer and employee (total of 24%)
for next three months. This is for establishments up to 100 employees, of which
90% earn less than ₹15,000 per month.
- The Employees Provident Fund scheme regulations will be amended to allow non-refundable advance of 75% of the amount standing to credit of the member, or 3 months’ worth of wages, whichever is lower. This will benefit 4.8 crore organised sector workers registered with EPFO. This will benefit 80 lakh employees, and incentivize 4 lakh establishments.
- There is a welfare fund of ₹31,000 Crore for building and other
construction workers, which has 3.5 crore registered workers.
- Centre will direct State governments to provide assistance and support to the registered construction workers facing economic disruption due to the lock-down.
- The Finance Minister also said that she will ask State governments to use money available under district mineral funds to use for medical screening, testing and treatment.
- These announcements come into effect immediately. The authorities have responded immediately, within 36 hours of the lock-down, providing support first to the poorest of the poor.
- Aware of the impact this will have on banks, as people will need to access their cash transfers, banks and bank branches, ATMs, banking correspondents which are all essential services will continue to work during the lock-down.
Announced within 36 hours of
lock-down, the scheme is a very important component of India’s fight against the
pandemic that is threatening to bring the entire world down on it’s knees. It
will help in taking care of the needs of the migrant workers, disabled,
elderly, poor and the daily wagers by taking care of their daily needs and
dietary requirements. At the same time it takes care of the front-line fighters
in this war, by providing them adequate insurance covers.
Let us pray for the health and
prosperity of our nation and all people of the World at large.
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with this and other posts on this blog to push disseminate the power of
knowledge and awareness among all our fellow human beings.
Jai Hind.
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