Despite 21-day lockdown, coronavirus is fast across India. Many states have stepped up efforts to contain the pandemic and also to ease troubles faced by citizens during the ongoing crisis.
States like Kerala and Delhi have initiated welfare measures to ensure that socially and financially backward classes are not left behind, while Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and other states too have announced relief packages.
Here's how states are fighting coronavirus:
In Rajasthan, the state government has allocated Rs 700 crore for social security pension which will help 7.8 million beneficiaries. The state government will also allocate Rs 500 crore from which it will provide Rs 1,500 one-time assistance to the poor. It had also earlier released Rs 310 crore to provide Rs 1,000 one-time assistance to 3.7 million persons below the poverty line, beneficiaries of the Antodaya scheme, 2.5 million construction labourers and others who do not come under the purview of the social security pension scheme. The Congress government in the state, led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, will allocate Rs 650 crore to power distribution companies against this relief. The Rajasthan government has deferred the recovery of electricity bills for agriculture power connections till May 31, which will benefit nearly 13 lakh farmers.
In Kerala, the state government announced Rs 20,000 crore economic package to deal with the outbreak of the coronavirus of which Rs 500 crore is exclusively for the health sector. The Kerala government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for rural guarantee programmes and loans totalling Rs 2,000 crore will be provided to needy families.
In Delhi, the state government has so far given Rs 5,000 each to 8 lakh beneficiaries under widow, differently-abled and elderly pension schemes to help them overcome the crisis. The economically weaker segments who are severely affected by the lockdown, such as construction workers, and auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers will also receive Rs 5,000 financial assistance. The state government has already opened 1,780 centres to feed the poor.
In Madhya Pradesh, the state government has allocated Rs 2000 crore relief fund to tackle coronavirus in the state. Madhya Pradesh government has also decided to transfer Rs 700 crore earmarked for the IIFA (International Indian Film Academy Awards-2020) ceremonies to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund on COVID-19 assistance.
The Punjab government has allocated Rs 69 crore for the distribution of wheat flour, lentils, and sugar. The chief minister has also launched a door-to-door drive to distribute 10 lakh packets of dry rations to daily wagers and unorganised labour. Each packet will contain 10 kg of flour, 2 kg of pulses and 2 kg of sugar. The state government has also disbursed Rs 20 crore to deputy commissioners of local bodies. The Congress-led government of Captain Amarinder Singh has also allocated Rs 70 crore to upgrade health care infrastructure related to COVID-19.
The Haryana government has allocated Rs 100 crore to the health department and Rs 1 crore each for all the 22 districts in the state.
In Maharashtra, the state government has allocated Rs 11,000 crore for the public health department to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Rs 250 crore for distribution of food grains through PDS for 25 million people. State government has allocated Rs 500 crore to 36 district planning committees to meet COVID-19 expenditure at the district level.
The Telangana government has allocated Rs 380 crore to the health department under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to contain COVID-19. Rs 1,500 per family per month will be given to families under special assistance to needy. Even, Rs 30,000 crore are earmarked for the procurement of Agri produce.
In Karnataka, the state government has allocated Rs 200 crore dedicated funds to fight the spread of coronavirus. For cash assistance, Rs 360 crore has been allocated from which 1.8 million labourers will get Rs 2000 cash.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has allocated Rs 15 crore for cash assistance of Rs 1,000 to 150,000 registered construction workers. The J&K administration has allocated Rs 40 crore to divisional commissioners and local municipal bodies for creating quarantine facilities, purchasing masks and sanitisers.
The Tamil Nadu has allocated Rs 1,700 crore for rice, lentils, oil, and sugar. The Tamil Nadu government announced Rs 3,280 crore special relief package, including Rs 1,000 each cash assistance to rice ration card holders, auto-rickshaw drivers and construction workers.
In Odisha, the state government has announced a relief package of Rs 2200 Crores aiming towards the welfare of the poor in dealing with the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. Under the Food Security scheme, the state government is giving three months advance PDS ration to all the beneficiaries, all the PDS beneficiaries will get Rs 1,000 each that will cost 940 crores of the budget. Odisha government will be giving four months advance allowance to other 48 lac beneficiaries under different social welfare schemes which will cost Rs 932 crores. The state government will provide Rs 1500 each to 22 lakh construction workers, which will cost Rs 330 crores.
Himachal Pradesh government has announced Rs 500-crore relief package for the poor and the needy, and Rs 30 crore for construction workers who are likely to face financial troubles due to the coronavirus outbreak. About 1.5 lakh workers registered with the Building and Construction Workers Board will be provided Rs 2000 as one-time relief.
In Uttar Pradesh, the state government will transfer a sum of Rs 1,000 to each of the 20.37 lakh construction workers registered with the labour department and to each of the 15 lakh self-employed cart owners, small shop owners, and rickshaw pullers on an immediate basis. The amount, funded by the labour cess, will be transferred to their accounts through the system of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The Yogi Adityanath government has also allocated Rs 1,130 crore to tackle coronavirus in the state.
The Assam government will give Rs 1000 one-time financial assistance to 278,000 labourers registered with the government and families who live in rural.
In Jharkhand, the state government has allocated Rs 200 crore to strengthen health infrastructure to fight against coronavirus. The state government will also provide Rs 10,000 cash to 2,000 panchayat heads for which it has allocated Rs 200 crore.
The Andhra Pradesh government has allocated Rs 70,000 crore on vote-on-account expenditure for the first three months of the fiscal year.
In West Bengal, the state government has set aside Rs 200 crore to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. The state government has also allocated Rs 5,000 crore for free ration through fair price.
The Bihar government announced Rs 100 crore relief package to help the poor and daily wage labourers of the state. The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has transferred Rs 184 crores into the bank accounts of around 18 lakh ration card holding families in the state to help them fight the outbreak of novel coronavirus. Each ration card-holding family was given Rs 1,000 from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
