Bhubaneswar: In an aim to provide financial assistance to the economically and socially vulnerable sections affected due to the outbreak of Covid19, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced Thursday a package of Rs 1690.46 crore.
The package will benefit landless farmers, construction workers, urban poor, tribal people, state food security scheme (SFSS) beneficiaries, MGNREGA workers and Dibyang students.
Patnaik, while announcing the package said that the entire gamut of society has been affected due to Covid-19.
However, those who have suffered the most, are socially and economically weaker sections of the people. Due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the state had to face extended periods of lockdown.
It had a tremendous impact on the livelihood of daily labourers. Hence the government has come up with the special package. The government will provide special assistance of Rs 1,000 per beneficiary to the farmers under the Kalia scheme.
Over Rs 207 crore will be provided to 17.83 lakh landless farmers covered under the scheme in three installments. For the urban poor, Rs 260 crore has been allocated to all the 114 urban local bodies (ULBs) under ‘Mukta Yojana’.
The MGNREGA workers will get an additional amount of Rs 50 per day above their daily wages from April to June this year. The government will spend Rs 300 crore for this.
The beneficiaries of the SFSS scheme will be provided with 5kg extra rice free of cost for which the state will spend Rs 92.86 crore.
Patnaik said it is the duty of the state to look after the people There are 66,214 family members in 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) in Odisha.
The government would provide Rs 5,000 per family for their livelihood and the money will be deposited directly to their bank accounts. A total of Rs 33.10 crore will be spent for this.
PNN
