The government has provided ₹34,800 crore financial assistance using digital payment infrastructure to about 39 crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) to protect them from the impact of COVID-19 lockdown.
As part of the ₹1.70 lakh crore PMGKP, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26, the government announced free foodgrains and cash payment to women and poor senior citizens and farmers.
The implementation of the package is being continuously monitored by Central and State governments, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
The finance ministry, the concerned ministries, Cabinet Secretariat and Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the relief measures reach the needy swiftly and in line with the intent of the lockdown, it said.
As of May 5, 2020, it said, ₹16,394 crore has gone towards payment of the first instalment of PM-KISAN. Under the scheme, 8.19 crore identified beneficiaries got ₹2,000 directly in their accounts.
It further said that ₹10,025 crore was credited to 20.05 crore (98.33%) women Jan Dhan account holders as first instalment.
The number of women PMJDY accounts holders whose accounts have been debited by customer induced transaction is 8.72 crore (44%), it said, adding, ₹2,785 crore was credited to 5.57 crore women Jan Dhan account holders with second instalment as on May 5.
The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) disbursed about ₹1,400 crore to about 2.82 crore old age persons, widows and differently-abled persons, the ministry added.
Each beneficiary received an ex-gratia cash of ₹500 under the scheme as the first instalment. Another instalment of Rs 500 each will be paid during the month.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana 67.65 Lakh MT of foodgrains have been lifted by 36 States/UTs for April 2020. Around 16 LMT of foodgrains have been distributed, covering 60.33 crore beneficiaries by 36 States/UTs for April 2020.
About 6 LMT of foodgrains have been distributed, covering 12.39 crore beneficiaries by 22 States/UTs for May 2020, it said.
“2.42 LMT of Pulses have also been dispatched to various states/UTs. Pulses have been distributed so far to 5.21 crore household beneficiaries out of 19.4 crore such beneficiaries,” it said.
Besides, it said, 9.6 lakh members of Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) have taken benefit of online withdrawal of non-refundable advance from EPFO account amounting to 2,985 crore so far.
Increased rate for workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) has been notified effective April 1, it said.
“In the current financial year, 5.97 crore person’s man-days of work were generated. Further, Rs 21,032 crore released to states to liquidate pending dues of both wage and material,” it said.
The statement said that Fintech and digital technology have been employed for swift and efficient transfer to the beneficiary.
Direct benefit transfer, i.e. transfer that ensures that the amount is directly credited into the account of the beneficiary, eliminates leakage and improves efficiency, has been employed. This has ensured credit to the beneficiary’s account without the need for the beneficiary to physically go to the branch.
