These are the schemes that will be covered under Modi govt’s Rs 1.7 lakh crore package

As Modi govt looks to provide relief to 80 crore poor, migrant workers and other Indians, here is a list of the schemes whose beneficiaries will get covered.

File image of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman | Photo: PTI

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday announced the central government’s Rs 1.7 lakh crore economic package that aims to provide relief to 80 crore poor, migrant workers and other Indians who have been economically hurt by the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

These 80 crore people, including farmers, migrant labourers, construction workers, women, the specially abled and the old, are covered under various existing schemes of the central government.

ThePrint lists the details of these schemes, whose beneficiaries will get covered under the relief package that will roll out from 1 April.

PM-Kisan

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, a centrally-sponsored scheme, was launched in February 2019. Under it, all farmer families across India get an income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each every four months.

MGNREGA

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Act (MGNREGA) provides for at least 100 days of assured annual wage employment to one adult member of every rural household. The scheme mandates that while 60 per cent of the total expenditure under MGNREGA has to be on wages, 40 per cent spending has to be on the creation of material assets.

Deen Dayal National Rural Livelihood Mission

Launched by the rural development ministry in June 2011, the scheme covering 68.4 million houses aims to benefit women self-help groups (SHGs). The scheme covers 7 crore rural poor households across 600 districts, 6,000 blocks, 2.5 lakh gram panchayats and 6 lakh villages in the country through self-managed SHGs and support them for livelihood collectives. Under the scheme, at least one woman member from each identified rural poor household is to be brought under the SHG in a time-bound manner.

For old & disabled

The central government runs a number of schemes to help the old, widows and the specially abled. Primary among them is the Integrated Programme for Older Persons, a scheme running since 1992 to improve the quality of life of senior citizens by providing basic amenities like shelter, food and medical care among others.

Under this, the government provides funds to NGOs, Panchayati Raj Institutions etc. for maintenance of old age homes, respite care homes, mobile medicare units, day care centres for Alzheimer’s disease/dementia patients, among others.

There is also the Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme under which the central government provides assistance of Rs 200 per month to persons in the age group of 60-79 years and Rs 500 per month to persons of 80 years and above and belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.

Besides, the Divyangjan Swavalamban Yojana scheme assists the needy specially abled persons by providing concessional loan for economic and overall empowerment.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

Under the scheme launched in 2016, over 8 crore LPG connections have been provided to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families with a support of Rs 1,600 per connection. According to a government statement, the scheme was launched to safeguard the health of women & children by providing them with clean cooking fuel.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana

The financial inclusion scheme launched in August 2014 aims to provide universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic banking account for every household, and increasing financial literacy, access to credit, insurance and pension.

There are 20 crore women Jan Dhan beneficiaries across the country.

FOR THE ORGANISED SECTOR

EPF scheme

The Employees’ Provident Funds (EPF) scheme covers every establishment in which 20 or more persons are employed. Under the scheme, an employee has to make a certain contribution towards the scheme and an equal contribution is made by the employer. The employee gets a lump sum amount upon retirement, including own and the employer’s contribution with interest on both.

Building and other construction workers’ welfare fund

The central government has directed states to utilise the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Fund, which has a corpus of Rs 31,000 crore, to help construction workers facing economic disruption because of the lockdown.

Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojna

Launched in 2015, the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojna (PMKKKY) is meant to provide for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations, using the funds generated by district mineral foundations.

Currently, the fund has a corpus of Rs 25,000 crore. On Thursday, FM Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is directing states to utilise the district mineral fund to supplement and augment medical testing, screening activities and also providing health services to the poor.