Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday announced that the state government would provide a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 each to around 15 lakh daily wage labourers and 20.37 lakh construction workers in the state to help them meet their daily needs given the coronavirus outbreak. Further, one-month of free ration will be made available to about 1.65 crore needy people in Uttar Pradesh in April.
“If a family is not covered by any government schemes and if there is no provision for their maintenance, the government has decided to provide them also with Rs 1,000 per month,” Adityanath tweeted.
The UP government has become the second, after Kerala, to announce relief measures for people to tackle the deadly pandemic that has taken a total of five lives in India.
“There are 20.37 lakh construction workers registered under the labor department in the state, of which the data of the bank accounts of 5.97 lakh workers is available with the department. A monthly sum of Rs 1,000 will be credited to the accounts of such workers,” Adityanath announced.
It has also been decided to give two months of advance pension to the beneficiaries of various pension schemes of the state government. The amount will be given in April.
Regarding the work completed under MNREGA, action will be taken this month to pay the amount of Rs 556 crore.
Further, he urged all the workers to open bank accounts as soon as possible so that the state government could transfer Rs 1,000 per month as part of the Direct Benefits Transfer programmme.
“A total of 23 people are infected with coronavirus in the state. Out of the total cases, nine people have recovered. We have a sufficient number of isolation wards in the state,” the UP chief minister said in a press meet announcing the measures.
“I appeal to the people to not panic over coronavirus. We've sufficient stock of essential commodities and medicines in the state. So please don't rush to shops to buy things and hoard commodities,” he requested further.
