Bengaluru Amid a receding second wave of COVID-19, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Saturday said lockdown restrictions would be lifted in districts that report less than 5% COVID-19 positivity.
Speaking to reporters, he said he would hold discussions with officials and take a decision in four or five days. A few days ago, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had set three criteria for unlocking — less than 5% positivity in the district, over 70% inoculation of priority groups, and community role in COVID-appropriate behaviour.
The State government is expected to unlock economic activities in a phased manner to contain the spread of the pandemic.
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Meanwhile the Chief Minister on Saturday commenced the process of crediting ₹3,000 each into the bank accounts of construction workers as COVID-19 relief announced under the first package last month.
He launched the programme under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, and in the first instalment a total sum of ₹110 crore will be credited into the accounts of four lakh construction workers.
The Chief Minister said 25 lakh workers registered under the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board fund would get the financial aid. Funds would be transferred to all eligible workers in the next few days. A sum of ₹749.55 crore has been set aside for providing ₹3,000 each to construction workers under the package.
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Mr. Yediyurappa also launched an online platform for the submission of applications seeking monetary aid by unorganised workers. Eleven categories of unorganised workers, such as tailors, mechanics, pottery makers, hamalis, goldsmiths, and blacksmiths, are eligible for the monetary aid of ₹2,000, he said.
Responding to a question on reducing the price of petrol, he said there was no proposal before the government right now. Petrol price stood at ₹97.92 a litre in Bengaluru on Saturday.
On the vaccination front, Mr. Yediyurappa said more than 1.47 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin had been administered to the people of the State as on June 4.