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Covid-19 lockdown: Odisha announces Rs 100 crore employment programme for 4.5 lakh urban poor families
In his letter to PM Modi, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had demanded that Rs 380.39 crore for Odisha, one fourth of the wage rate as per MGNREGA, as unemployment allowance.
With the Covid-19 lockdown affecting livelihood of millions of poor in urban areas, the Odisha government on Saturday announced an emergency programme ‘Urban Wage Employment Initiative’ worth Rs 100 crore that would start from April 20 and continue till September this year.
Announcing the programmme, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said 4.50 lakh families residing in 114 urban local bodies across the state would be benefitted by it. With cooperation of Mission Shakti groups, the programme will be implemented from this month till September this year.
The beneficiaries will receive their payment by the end of each week. Under the programme, developmental works such as cleaning of drains, remediation of water bodies, remodelling of playgrounds and parks, construction of public toilets will be undertaken. Local artists will also be employed for wall painting and mural paintings.
Last month, Patnaik had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the state to grant unemployment allowance to over 36.10 lakh NREGS workers who are sitting idle due to lockdown. In his letter to PM Modi, the chief minister had demanded that Rs 380.39 crore for Odisha, one fourth of the wage rate as per MGNREGA, as unemployment allowance.
Odisha had also announced a package of Rs 2,200 crore for the poorer sections of the state including Rs 1,000 cash assistance to each of the 94 lakh beneficiaries under the Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Department and Rs 1500 to each of the 22 lakh construction workers. Besides, financial assistance of Rs 3,000 was announced for each of the 65,000 street vendors across 114 urban local bodies to deal with the Covid-19 lockdown.
With another 15 days remaining for the lockdown to end, Odisha officials are worried about its impact on the state’s economy. The harvesting of rabi crops has taken a major hit with farmers forced to do distress sale of vegetables. Rabi crops including paddy, maize and millet have not been damaged but procurement has been hit hard.