The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana / Package is a Rs 1.70 lakh crore relief package for the underprivileged to aid them in their fight against the Corona Virus. This was launched in March 2020, with the goal of reaching out to the lowest of the poor with food and money so that they don’t have trouble purchasing basic supplies and meeting basic necessities.
From March 30, 2020, the package comprised the following measures:
- Per health worker, there is a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover. COVID-19 will be given by the Insurance Scheme, which will be extended for one year starting in April 2021.
- For the next three months, 80 crore underprivileged individuals would receive 5-kilogram wheat or rice and 1 kg of selected pulses for free, with the program being extended until November 2021. (Initially, the package was extended to May & June 2021; originally, it was extended to November 2020)
- For the next three months, 20 crore women with Jan Dhan accounts would receive Rs 500 every month.
- The MNREGA wage has been increased to Rs 202 per day from Rs 182, benefiting 13.62 crore people.
- Ex-gratia payments of Rs 1,000 to 3 crore poor senior citizens, widows, and disabled people
- Farmers will receive Rs 2,000 in the first week of April 2020 as part of the existing PM Kisan Yojana, which will help 8.7 crore farmers.
- State governments have been directed to use the Building and Construction Workers Welfare Fund to provide relief to construction workers by the federal government.
Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT)-
The finance minister made particular statements while under DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer).
- Benefits to farmers- Farmers would receive an additional Rs.2,000 as a front-load payment from the government under the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
- Increase in daily wage: For the next 100 days, workers under the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) will be paid Rs.202 per day. It is estimated that 5 crore families will benefit.
- Ex-gratia of Rs.1,000: Over the next three months, the government would provide ex-gratia of Rs.1,000 to 3 crore destitute senior citizens, disabled people, and widows.
- Free LPG cylinders: Under the Ujjwala initiative, 8.3 crore BPL families with LPG connections would receive free LPG cylinders for the next three months.
- Ex-gratia payments to female account holders: For the next three months, 20 crore women who have accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana Scheme will receive an ex-gratia payment of Rs 500.
- Obtain collateral-free loans: Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), 63 lakh women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) will be eligible for collateral-free loans of up to Rs.20 lakh (12 percent each).
THE PRADHAN MANTRI GARIB KALYAN YOJANA’S Objective (PMGKY)
The PMGKY was created with the intention of attracting black money from tax evaders by providing them with refuge from government prosecution. The government offered a chance for tax evaders to reveal unaccounted income with a 49.9% tax rate under the PM garib kalyan yojana scheme. The money was supposed to be used to reduce income inequality in the country.
The objectives of the extension were to protect low-wage workers from losing their jobs and to help small businesses (with up to 100 employees). For three months, the central government covered all employee EPF contributions (12 percent of total salaries) as well as employers’ EPF and EPS contributions (12 percent of wages), for a total of 24 percent of monthly wages. In addition, the government announced assistance packages to assist the needy through a variety of schemes. Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister, released a relief package totalling Rs. 1.70 lakh crore under the PMGKY.
Details of the policy-
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana 2020 intends to help people from all walks of life, including migratory workers, farmers, the urban and rural poor, and women.
The government has selected the areas that have been hurt the hardest by COVID-related economic disruptions. The government created many programs under the PMGKY to focus on each section.
The three schemes listed below are noteworthy:
Garib Kalyan is the Prime Minister of India.
Anna Yojana – Food grains are distributed to the underprivileged (rural and urban) through the PDS Cash Transfer Scheme — each woman with a Jan Dhan account receives Rs. 500.
Health-care employees, including doctors, nurses, Asha workers, paramedics, and sanitation workers, are covered by the insurance.
For applying, click on the link given- https://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/pradhan-mantri-garib-kalyan-package-pmgkp
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