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Over 32 crore poor got Rs29,352 crore in cash aid since March 26: Govt
New Delhi: The government has disbursed Rs 29,352 crore in the bank accounts of 32.32 crore beneficiaries since the launch of a welfare scheme by finance minister
New Delhi: The government has disbursed Rs 29,352 crore in the bank accounts of 32.32 crore beneficiaries since the launch of a welfare scheme by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26 to protect the poor from the impact of Covid-19 lockdown.
The Rs 1.7-lakh crore welfare package under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) has already provided financial support to 19.86 crore women under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), a finance ministry statement said.
About Rs 9,930 crore has reached 97% PMJDY accounts of women, it said.
PMJDY is a national mission for financial inclusion that was launched on August 28, 2014 to provide universal access to banking facilities, such as a zero balance account, to the poor.
According to PMJDY’s website, there are 38.08 crore accounts under the scheme with total deposits of Rs 119,707 crore as of April 1.
Sitharaman had announced financial aid of Rs 500 a month for 20 crore women with Jan Dhan accounts for three months so that they can run their households during the lockdown.
“The robust digital payment infrastructure has enabled the prompt transfer of cash payment under the PMGKY. About 93% of the 8 crore farmers have already received Rs 14,846 crore cash assistance under the PM-KISAN,” a finance ministry spokesperson said.
While launching the Rs 1.7-lakh crore package on March 26, Sitharaman had announced the Rs 2,000 instalment of PM-KISAN would be “front-loaded” and given immediately.
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) programme, launched on December 1, 2018, provides Rs 6,000 a year as cash support to all farmer families across the country in three equal instalments.
The spokesperson said the government has transferred Rs 1,405 crore into the bank accounts of 2.82 crore widows, senior citizens and physically challenged as of April 13.
The welfare package had promised Rs 1,000 as ex-gratia payment to economically poor widows, citizens above the age of 60, and the physically challenged under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). The amount will be given in two instalments.
NSAP is a centrally sponsored scheme that provides financial aid to the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities in the form of social pensions.
As announced by Sitharaman, the government has so far disbursed financial support to 2.17 crore building and other construction workers involving Rs 3,071 crore, the spokesperson said.
Announcing the scheme on March 26, Sitharaman had said there is already a fund for the welfare of construction and other workers. This had, at the moment, Rs 31,000 crore and 35 million workers were registered under it. “We have given directions to state governments to utilise the funds to provide assistance to construction workers to protect them,” she said.
