The Uttar Pradesh government has announced a slew of measures to combat the COVID 19 pandemic. These include ensuring payments for daily wage workers during the duration of the disease’s spread.
A committee under the finance minister, consisting of the agriculture and labour ministers, has been constituted to submit a report within three days on how daily wage labourers can be paid for their sustenance so that they do not have to go out to seek work and risk infection. The sustenance money shall be directly transferred to their accounts through RTGS.
As per the Uttar Pradesh Minimum Wages Notification, October 2019, the minimum per day wage for unskilled labourers is Rs 318.42; for semi-skilled it is Rs 350.26 and for skilled labourers it is Rs 392.35.
Appealing to people from refraining from going to crowded places, the CM has announced closure of all educational institutions till April 2, as well as the postponement of all competitive and other exams till the said date.
The state will also provide free testing and treatment to all COVID 19 patients. No pay cuts will be permitted during the period of illness and recuperation. Advisories issued by the Centre will be followed completely. All tourist spots have been closed till March 31, but with the injunction that cleanliness of the same shall be ensured. All government-public interactions such as tehsil diwas and janta darshan shall remain suspended till April 2.
Adityanath, himself the chief seer of a mutt, has called upon religious leaders to spread awareness about the disease while also discouraging people from coming to places of worship. The district administrations will utilise any ongoing fairs or congregations to make people aware of the virus and precautionary measures. Gram panchayats have been especially instructed to maintain high levels of cleanliness.
Biometric attendance in the state has also been suspended. Wherever possible, employees have been asked to work from home without any loss of wages.
The CM had reiterated his intent of going all out to ensure that the disease does not move beyond stage 2.
