FREE LPG, 50 LAKH MEDICAL INSURANCE COVER AND MORE: COMPLETE LIST OF WELFARE MEASURES ANNOUNCED BY FM NIRMALA SITHARAMAN!

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Thursday, 26 March, announced a slew of welfare measures as the entire country is under a complete lockdown owing to COVID-19 crisis.

"The government has been working so that those affected due to the novel coronavirus since the lockdown commenced on the intervening night of 24-25 March, will be reached out. We have come up with a package which will take care of the welfare concerns of the poor."

Nirmala Sitharaman announced medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per health worker for three months.

'Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Scheme' for Rs 1.7 lakh crore that includes food security and cash transfers to the poor and migrants was announced. Everyone under the scheme will get 5 kg of wheat/rice for free in addition to what they are already getting. One kg of one choice of pulse to each household will also be provided for the next three months.

Cash transfer under PMGKAY will be through DBT in eight parts. A total of 80 crore people including Farmers, MNREGA, widows, poor pensioners, divyang, women under Jan Dhan Yojana, women and households under Ujjwala scheme, self-help groups for women especially under the livelihood mission, organized sector workers under EPFO, construction workers and district mineral funds will be benefitted from the scheme.

Farmers who receive Rs 6,000 per annum through the PM-KISAN scheme will receive the first instalment upfront. "Around 8.69 crore farmers will get immediate benefit out of this," said the finance minister.

The daily wage under the MNREGA scheme will be increased to Rs 202 from Rs 182 to benefit 5 crore families.

The finance minister also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1,000 to 3 crore poor senior citizens, poor widows and poor specially-abled.

Women Jan Dhan account holders will get Rs 500 per month for the next three months. "There are 63 lakh self-help groups for women in the country. They get up to Rs 10 lakh collateral-free loans right now. We are doubling that to Rs 20 lakh," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Under the Ujjwala scheme, 8.3 crore families below the poverty line will get free LPG cylinders for three months.

Workers will be allowed to draw a non-refundable advance of 75 percent from credit in provident fund account or 3 months’ salary, whichever is lower.

Centre will pay the EPFO contribution of both the employer and the employee for firms with up to 100 employees for the next three months.

State governments will be directed to utilise an existing Rs 31,000 crore welfare fund under 'Buildings and Other Construction Workers' Fund' for the benefit of 3.5 crore construction workers.