Free food grains and cash payment to women, poor senior citizens and farmers are provided under financial package, called ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna’

As many as 39 crore poor and needy people, impacted heavily by Covid-19 triggered lockdown, received 34 thousand 800 crore worth of financial support doled out under ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna.’

The package was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in March to protect the poor people from the impact of the lockdown imposed due to the deadly coronavirus.

Free food grains and cash payment to women, poor senior citizens and farmers are provided under the package, whose implementation is being continuously monitored by Central and State governments.

Digital technology has been employed for swift and efficient transfer of financial assistance to the beneficiaries.

Under the various components of the package, 16 thousand 394 crore rupees front loaded towards payment of the first instalment of PM-KISAN to 8.19 crore beneficiaries.

More than 10 thousand crore rupees credited to 20 crore women’s Jan Dhan account as first instalment.

Further, two thousand 785 crores credited to 5.57 crore women’s Jan Dhan account as the second instalment in this month. Besides, one thousand 405 crore rupees disbursed to 2.82 crore old age persons, widows and disabled persons.

A financial support of Rs 3,492 crore was provided to more than two crore building and construction workers .

As per a statement, during April, more than 30 lakh metric tonnes of food grains have been distributed to 60.33 crore beneficiaries while 6.19 lakh metric tonnes of food grains were distributed to 12.39 crore beneficiaries in this month.

A total of 2.42 lakh metric tonnes of pulses have also been dispatched to various states and union territories. Pulses have been distributed to 5.21 crore household beneficiaries.

Under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a total of 5.09 crore cylinders have been booked under and 4.82 crore free cylinders delivered to the beneficiaries.

Besides, 9.6 lakh members of Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, EPFO has taken benefit of online withdrawal of non-refundable advance from EPFO account amounting to 2,985 crore rupees. 24 per cent EPF contribution transferred to 44.97 lakh employees’ account amounting to 698 crore rupees.

Under the MNREGA scheme, 5.97 crore person’s man-days of work generated and 21 thousand 32 crore released to States to liquidate pending dues.

Insurance schemes for health workers in government hospitals and health care centres have been operationalised by New India Assurance covering 22.12 Lakh health workers.