What's in the 1.7 Lac Crore Covid Relief Package?

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, India announced a 21-day lockdown from 24.Mar.2020. Crores of low-income and migrant workers were the first ones to be hit hard by this drastic measure. To provide support to their livelihood during the lockdown period and subsequent recovery period, Finance Minister Smt.Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs.1.7 Lac Crore relief package on 26.Mar.2020, the details of which are presented below.

The PM Gareeb Kalyan Scheme

A. The Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana

Under this plan, 80 crore poor people in the country will get 5 kg of rice or wheat per month free of cost, in addition to the 5 kg they already get on a monthly basis. Each household will additionally get 1 kg of preferred dal for free for the next three months.

B. Cash transfer scheme

1. PM-KISAN Scheme (since 2019) - 8.7 crore farmers will get the first of the three installments of Rs 2,000 front-loaded to their accounts on 1.April.2020.
2. MGNREGA: Wage increased from Rs 182 to Rs 202 per day. This wage increase will benefit 5 crore families, as their income will increase by Rs 2,000.
3. 3 crore poor widows, aged, and disabled will receive Rs 1,000 for the next three months, in two installments through direct benefits transfer (DBT)
4. Women with Jan Dhan Yojana accounts: 20 crore such account holders will benefit from Rs 500 transfer for each of the next three months.
5. Beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme: 8.3 crore households will get 1 free cylinder per month for the next three months
6. Women in self-help groups: 63 Lac self help groups (SHGs) will get up to Rs 10 lakh collateral-free loans under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya National Rural Mission scheme. The cap has been doubled to Rs 20 lakh. The move will benefit 7 crore households.

Others

1. For frontline healthcare medical professionals: 2 crore medical professionals that includes sanitation and ASHA workers, paramedics, doctors and nurses would be provided individual insurance cover of Rs.50 Lacs.  
2. For organised sector workers: The Government of India will pay EPF contribution of both employee and employer (total 24%) for the next three months. This will be for all those establishments which have up to 100 employees, 90% of whom earn less than Rs 15,000 a month. This will benefit 400,000 such organisations and 80 Lac such employees. Such employees are also allowed to withdraw up to 75% of their corpus as non-refundable advance, or three months' salary, whichever is less.
3. For construction workers: To take care of building & construction workers, states have been directed to use Rs 31,000 crore available in welfare fund.
4. For Covid diagnosis: State governments to tap district mineral fund for medical screening, medical testing and providing health care services in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Without doubt, everyone of us is hit very hard by this pandemic - it would greatly help even if we can afford to pay the salaries of our maid / cook, conservancy worker & security guard during these tough times!

.."To empathize is human"..