Bhubaneswar: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced a special relief package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore to provide immediate relief to people in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
The special economic relief package primarily focuses on migrant labourers and daily wage workers.
Thanking all the frontline warriors- ASHA workers, Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Sitharaman informed that Rs 50 lakh insurance cover will be provided for each healthcare worker for three months.
"A package is ready for the poor who need immediate help like migrant workers and urban and rural poor. No one will go hungry. The package is worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore," informed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
Key Highlights:
Centre to pay EPF contribution both of the employer and the employee (12%+12%) for the next 3 months. This will be applicable to establishments with up to 100 employees among whom 90% employees draw Rs 15,000 per month.
Provident fund scheme regulations will be amended to allow the non-refundable advance of 75% of the credited amount or 3 months wages whichever is lower
Women Jan Dhan account holders will receive Rs 500/month for next 3 months; will benefit over 20 crore women
Elderly, widows, & divyangs will get one-time additional cash transfer of Rs 1,000 in 2 installments
Under Ujjwala scheme, free LPG cylinders will be given for the next 3 months; this will benefit 8.3 crore BPL families
For Women SHGs, collateral free loan amount doubled from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh; this will impact around 7 crore households
Govt to front-load Rs 2,000 paid to farmers in first week of April under existing PM Kishan Yojana to benefit 8.69 cr farmers
The finance minister also announced that for the welfare of building and construction workers, the central government has passed orders to states to use funds worth Rs 31,000 crore to provide relief.