Finance Minister announces Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana

27-Mar-20

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The Union Finance Minister Smt. Niramla Sitharaman has announced Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for the poor to help them fight the battle against Corona Virus.
The most important announcements have been mentioned below:
Insurance Related: Any health professional, who while treating Covid-19 patients, meet with some accident, then he/she would be compensated with an amount of Rs 50 lakh under the scheme.
PM Garib Kalyan Ann (????) Yojana: 80 crore individuals who have been covered under the scheme will be provided double of their current entitlement over next three months. 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses for free every month for the next three months.
Benefit to farmers: The first installment of Rs 2,000 due in 2020-21 will be front-loaded and paid in April 2020 itself under the PM KISAN Yojana.
Cash transfers Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana: A total of 20.40 crores PMJDY women account-holders would be given an ex-gratia of Rs 500 per month for next three months.
Gas cylinders: Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, 3 gas cylinders, free of cost, would be provided to 8 crore poor families for the next three months.
Help to low wage earners in organised sectors: For Wage-earners below Rs 15,000 per month in businesses having less than 100 workers, government proposes to pay 24 percent of their monthly wages into their PF accounts for next three months.
Support for senior citizens (above 60 years), widows and Divyang: Government will give them Rs 1,000 to tide over difficulties during next three months.
MNREGA: Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, MNREGA wages would be increased by Rs 20 with effect from 1 April, 2020. (To Rs 202 a day from Rs 182)
Self-Help groups: Limit of collateral free lending would be increased from Rs 10 to Rs 20 lakhs.
Employees’ Provident Fund Regulations will be amended to include 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.