K'taka grants ₹2,000 subsidy to registered street vendors

Bengaluru Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday released ₹2000 subsidy to registered street vendors as part of the financial package announced by the state government to help ease the suffering of sections hardest-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown

Bengaluru Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday released ₹2000 subsidy to registered street vendors as part of the financial package announced by the state government to help ease the suffering of sections hardest-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown.

HT Image

“Initiated the financial disbursement of ₹2000 to 2.16 Lakh street vendors registered under Deendayal Antyodaya National Urban Livelihood Mission. Banks have been instructed not to adjust this pandemic relief support to other loans availed by street vendors earlier,” Yediyurappa said in a post on Twitter.

The street vendors were identified through a survey conducted by urban local bodies, according to a statement from the chief minister’s office (CMO).

The disbursement of the earlier announced financial package comes at a time when several sections of activists, trade unions and aggrieved people have raised their concerns over the lack of relief provided by the government to compensate for the lack of livelihood.

The Congress party, the principal political opposition in the state had lashed out at the Yediyurappa-led government for inadequate relief and demanded that at least ₹10,000 be deposited directly to the bank accounts of all vulnerable people. The chief minister announced two financial packages, totalling to around ₹1750 crores, since the onset of the second wave of infections in March. However, the number of beneficiaries and quantum of relief has come down since the first wave of infections last year, which amounted to around ₹2100 crore.

Senior government officials, earlier, told Hindustan Times that the lower number of beneficiaries was because the government could not trace several of them last time.

For instance, the government announced relief for 210k auto and cab drivers as against 775k last time, which union workers said was a gross miscalculation of the actual number of people working in these sectors.

Several people who spoke to Hindustan Times said that they were yet to receive any financial assistance so far.

“A financial assistance of ₹2000 was announced under the special package which was announced on 19-5-2021 for street vendors in the state whose livelihoods have been hit hard because of the lockdown imposed due to Covid-19 second wave. Accordingly, out of 216,439 beneficiaries, ₹38.33 crore have been transferred to 191,684 beneficiaries, whose Aadhar card has been linked to their bank accounts through direct benefit transfer,” according to the CMO statement.

Yediyurappa added that banks are directed not to adjust the amount released under the subsidy to any loans availed by the street vendors.

“Covid-19 second wave has affected us badly. In these difficult times, a relief package of more than ₹1700 crore has been announced for labourers , farmers, teachers, Asha Workers, priests and others belonging to different sectors who have been hit by the pandemic,” the statement read.

The CMO said that cash assistance for construction workers has been disbursed through direct bank transfer. “Action will be taken to disburse the amount to beneficiaries of other sectors under the relief package soon,” the CM added.