The economic task force under the leadership of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to combat the COVID-19 pandemic outlined a Rs 1.72 lakh crore package and unveiled a slew of measures under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana scheme for the people belonging to the bottom rung of the socio economic strata.
Highlights of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
- PMGKY will include cash transfers through DBT( Direct Benefit Transfer) to the poor and migrants.
- Special medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs each to all health workers working in all government and health care centres.
- Under the food scheme the two-third of India’s population will get 5kg of wheat/rice for free in addition to what they are already getting.The union government will also provide 1kg of one choice of pulses to all for next three months. Households can take these items in two installments as well.
- The union government has decided to increase the wages of workers employed under MANREGA from Rs 182 to Rs 202 per day for 13.62 crore families.
- Women account holders under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana will be given Rs 500 each for the next three months.
- Gas Cylinders under the UJVALA scheme will be provided free of cost to 8 crore below poverty line families for the next three months.
- States have been directed to utilise the construction welfare fund of Rs 31,000 crore to protect the interest of registered workers as the construction work has been stopped due to the nationwide lockdown.
- The union government will pay the EPF contribution both of the employers and the employee for the organisations which have up to 100 employees out of which 90% of them are earning less than 15,000.
- 3 crore senior citizens, disabled and widows among the poor will get an extra Rs 1000 over the next three months.
- The union government has decided to frontload Rs 2000 out of the amount of Rs 6000 received every year under the PM-KISAN scheme.
- EPFO scheme for the organised sector will be changed to allow the non-refundable advance of 75% of the amount standing to the credit of the worker or three month’s wages, whichever is lower.
