Picture : Twitter / ANI
The migrant workers who had been left in the lurch during the COVID-1 9 and the subsequent lockdown got some relief from the government. Union Finance Minister in her second press conference , announced Rs 3.16 lakh crore package of free food grains for migrant workers.
8 crore migrant workers will get 5 kgs of grains and 1 kg of pulses free for two months, while 50 lakh street vendors rendered jobless by the lockdown would be given a working capital loan of Rs 10,000 each.
As many as 2.5 crore farmers will be provided Rs 2 lakh crore of concessional credit through Kisan Credit Cards.
Reacting to the announcements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted
Today’s announcements by FM @nsitharaman will especially benefit our farmers and migrant workers. The announcements include a series of progressive measures and will boost food security, credit to farmers as well as street vendors. #AatmaNirbharBharatPackage
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 14, 2020
Also for post-harvest (Rabi) and current Kharif crop requirements in May and June, NABARD will provide Rs 30,000 crore additional emergency working capital funding for farmers through rural cooperative banks and regional rural banks.
She also announced a Rs 70,000 crore boost to the housing sector through one-year extension of subsidised loan for affordable houses for the middle-income group with an annual income of Rs 6 lakh to Rs 18 lakh.
Sitharaman said the central government will bear Rs 3,500 crore cost of giving free food grain and pulses to migrant workers.
State governments will be responsible for implementation, identification of migrants and full distribution.
Also to benefit of migrant workers, the government plans to allow inter-state portability of ration cards under public distribution system so as to allow them to use their cards anywhere to get benefit.
For small businesses, the minister announced a 2 per cent interest subvention under MUDRA-Shishu loans of up to Rs 50,000. This would cost the government Rs 1,500 crore.
For street vendors, the working capital loan would cost Rs 5,000 crore.
