Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi (SHP)
New Delhi, May 14: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced second tranche of Rs 20 lac crore economic package on Thursday, May 14. The bilingual presser with MoS Anurag Thakur began at 4 pm as she did the first tranche on Wednesday, May 13.
In the previous presser, Sitharaman announced that there would be a cut in provident fund contribution that would contribute the increase in the monthly take-home pay of the salaried class for the next three months. Which is more like the people’s money being paid out to them instead of being invested in a provident fund.
On Thursday, Nirmala Sitharaman began the press conference by stating that in the second tranche, the emphasis would be on migrant workers and marginal farmers. Further, she asserted that a total of nine steps would be announced in this matter. Out of which, three steps will deal with providing immediate assistance to the migrant workers.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also declared that the Centre has already approved the use of state disaster relief fund for the purpose of building shelters for urban poor, including migrant labours. This amounts to a direct help of Rs 11,000 crore from the Centre. In addition to this, three meals per day are being provided to urban homeless at Centre's cost.
The FM also pointed out that Self Help Groups were involved in providing the urban poor with a livelihood. As per reports, around 12,000 SHG groups produced over 3 crore masks and 1.20 lac litres of sanitisers amid the pandemic, she said.
Sitharaman also said that the government has facilitated the setting up of 7,200 new SHGs since March 15 to provide livelihood during the lockdown.
Paisa portal pilot project will be started across the country, which was earlier restricted only to Gujarat, said the FM.
The government aims to make minimum wages applicable to all workers, which was applicable only to 30% to workers. It also aims to remove disparity of minimum wage and compulsory give appointment letter to all workers, asserted the Finance Minister.
Sitharaman announced that the government is keen on making ESIC benefit compulsory to all establishments. Provision is also for social security fund for informal sector, she added. The FM maintained that the EPF support of paying 24% which is already borne by the government, was now extended for the next three months.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the MNREGA is offering work to 2.33 crore wage seekers in 1.87 lac gram panchayats. She also mentioned that the wages under MNREGA were also increased from Rs 182 to Rs 202 to provide benefit to India's poorest.
She also announced free food grain supply to the migrant workers on the move. Sitharaman said that even those workers who do not have ration cards or are not registered under the public distribution network would be able to avail 5 kilos of wheat or rice, and 1 kilo of pulse free of cost. This move would benefit over 8 crore migrant labourers, costing the government Rs 3,500 crore.
She maintained that the responsibility of reaching out to the migrants and implementing the scheme would be of the respective state governments.
The FM announced the government move of introducing one nation one ration card, through which people will be able to buy ration across any ration depot in the country.
Government is also planning on converting government-funded housing in major cities to affordable rental housing complexes for urban poor migrants, Sitharaman said. The PPP model will also be used to achieve this feat under the PM Awas Yojna.
She further stated that the current portfolio of Mudra Shishu loan is up to Rs 50,000 or less. After the three months moratorium, when borrowers start to repay, they would get interest subvention for the next 12 months.
She also announced that the street vendors would get a special credit facility of Rs 5,000 crore. Within a month, the government scheme would be launched which would covers over 50 lac street vendors. Initial working capital of Rs 10,000 will be given to each street vendor, the FM said.
The middle-income group (income of Rs 6-18 lac per year) will be able to avail affordable houses under a credit-linked subsidy scheme which will be extended until March 2021. Over 2.5 lac middle-class people are to be benefited with this scheme, Sitharaman announced.
The government gives Rs 6,000 crore to CAMPA funds, which aims to employ Adivasis and Tribal people for afforestation work, forest protection, wildlife protection, Sitharaman asserted.
Along with that the Centre also gives Rs 30,000 crore additional emergency working capital funds through NABARD to help farmers in post-harvest Rabi works and for the preparation of Kharif, she added.
Sitharaman concluded the presser with the announcement of providing nearly Rs 2 lac crore to farmers through Kisan credit cards. Under this measure, over 2.5 crore farmers, including fishermen and animal husbandry farmers, will be able to avail institutional credit at a concessional rate, the Finance Minister stated.