Government of India announcements, major announcements to fight COVID-19, key announcement by government of India.
The Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs Shri Anurag Singh Thakur was also present besides Shri Atanu Chakraborty, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs and Shri Debashish Panda, Secretary, Department of Financial Services. Following are the components of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: —
PRADHAN MANTRI GARIB KALYAN PACKAGE
I. Insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19 in Government Hospitals and Health Care Centres
From cleaners to ward boys, nurses to ASHA workers, paramedics, technicians, doctors and specialists and other health workers the Special Insurance Scheme is bound to cover them all.
The government would also compensate any health worker who meets with an accident while treating any COVID-19 patient with an amount of Rs 50 lakh under the scheme
All government health centres, wellness centres and hospitals of Centre as well as States would be covered under this scheme approximately 22 lakh health workers would be provided insurance cover to fight this pandemic.
II. PM Garib Kalyan Ann (अन्न) Yojana
The scheme is bound to cover at least 80 crore Indians in this scheme especially poor people so that they don’t suffer on account of non-availability of food grains due to disruption in the next three months.
Each one of them would be provided double of their current entitlement over next three months.
This addition would be free of cost.
Pulses:
The government promised to provide 1 kg pulses according to regional preferences for next three month. These pulses would be provided free of cost by the Government of India.
III. Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana,
Benefit to farmers:
The first instalment of Rs 2,000 due in 2020-21 and paid in April 2020 itself under the PM KISAN Yojana covering 8.7 crore farmers
IV. Cash transfers Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana:
Help to Poor:
The Government of India would provide 20.40 crore PMJDY women account-holders Rs 500 per month for the next three months.
Gas cylinders:
The Government if India under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana will prove free gas cylinders to 8 crore poor families for the next three months.
Help to low wage earners in organised sectors:
Wage-earners below Rs 15,000 per month in businesses having less than 100 workers are at risk of losing their employment.
Under this package, government proposes to pay 24 percent of their monthly wages into their PF accounts for next three months.
This would prevent disruption in their employment.
Support for senior citizens (above 60 years), widows and Differently-abled:
There are around 3 crore aged widows and people in differently-abled category who are vulnerable due to economic disruption caused by COVID-19.
Government will give them Rs 1,000 to tide over difficulties during next three months.
MNREGA
TheGovernment of India under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, MNREGA wages will be increased by Rs 20 with effect from 1 April, 2020 providing an additional Rs 2,000 benefit annually to a worker. Thus, benefitting approximately 13.62 crore families.
V. Self-Help groups:
The Government has also increased the collateral free lending from Rs 10 to Rs 20 lakhs as Women organised through 63 lakhs Self Help Groups (SHGs) support 6.85 crore households.
VI. Other components of PM Garib Kalyan package
Organised sector:
The Government of India under the Employees’ Provident Fund Regulations will implement the inclusion of Pandemic as the reason to allow non-refundable advance of 75 percent of the amount or three months of the wages, whichever is lower, from their accounts.
Families of four crore workers registered under EPF can take benefit of this window.
Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Fund:
Welfare Fund for Building and Other Constructions Workers has been created under a Central Government Act.
There are around 3.5 Crore registered workers in the Fund.
State Governments will be given directions to utilise this fund to provide assistance and support to these workers to protect them against economic disruptions.
District Mineral Fund
The State Government will be asked to utilise the funds available under District Mineral Fund (DMF) for supplementing and augmenting facilities of medical testing, screening and other requirements in connection with preventing the spread of CVID-19 pandemic as well as treating the patients affected with this pandemic.
Reserve Bank of India
In a relief to borrowers who could be facing liquidity issues in paying their equated monthly installments (EMI) amid the nationwide lockdown, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed banks and other financial institutions to provide a moratorium of three months to all term loan borrowers. Term loans include all types of retail loans—home, car, personal, education, gold—as well as credit card bill payment.
