Rs. 268.40 crore provided to save people from coro4th May 2020
The state government has spent Rs. 268.40 crore for protecting the common people from coronavirus and providing relief material and other essential commodities under various schemes during the lockdown period. This amount was spent in the month of April, 2020 through various welfare schemes.
A Spokesperson of the state government said here today that Rs. 217.85 crore have been releases as social security pension to about 5,69,058 pensioners during the lockdown period. Three months advance pension has been given to old age pensioners, widow pensioners, disabled and leprosy pensioners where as six months advance pension has been given to the social security pensioners of the tribal areas.
The state government is ensuring that the common people of the state do not suffer due to shortage of essential commodities during this time of crisis. For this, the state government has spent more than 35 crore rupees on providing essential commodities in the month of April itself. The state government under National Food Security Act (NFSA) has distributed 19,400 metric tonnes of wheat flour and 14,350 metric tonnes of rice in the month of April 2020. Apart from this, the labourers from other states who are stranded in Himachal Pradesh, have been distributed five kilograms each of wheat and rice by issuing temporary permits.
He said that an ex-gratia of Rs. 50 lakh has been fixed for the health and sanitary workers and other employees engaged in concerned services during the COVID-19 crisis. Besides, all health and sanitary workers have been brought under the ambit of Rs. 50 lakh insurance cover under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.
The state government has also come forward to compensate the loss suffered by the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation due to non-plying of buses during this period by releasing a grant of Rs. 60 crore in the month of April.
Every labourer has been provided Rs. 2000 through HP Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board in the month of April. As many as 75,601 workers have been benefited with decision by spending Rs. 15.12 crore.