Rs 350-cr relief for lockdown-hit

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 30

The Administrative Council, under the chairmanship of Lt-Governor Girish Chandra Murmu, has approved a relief package of Rs 350 crore for various categories of people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown in J&K.

Rs 1,000 per month

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The government has earmarked Rs 46.40 crore to provide Rs 1,000 per month for three months to a varied class of workers under the income support category. — Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary

The Principal Secretary, Planning, Development & Monitoring and Information, Rohit Kansal, said, “We are conscious of the fact that the lockdown has led to hardships to a number of people. The UT administration under the directions of the L-G has been implementing a number of welfare measures for labourers, workers, destitute, etc”.

While giving a detailed breakup of relief being provided to different categories of people, Kansal said the government had earmarked Rs 46.40 crore to provide Rs 1,000 per month for three months to a varied class of workers under the income support category.

“It includes Rs 35.2 crore to around 1.76 lakh construction workers; Rs 1.8 crore to houseboat and shikarawalas registered with the Tourism Department (5,791); Rs 8.1 crore to tourist guides/ponywalas/ palkiwalas/pithuwalas registered with SMVDSB/SASB and TDAs (27,000); Rs 0.255 crore to registered active flower growers (850 out of 7,000) and Rs 1.05 crore to street vendors (rehriwalas, phadiwalas, thelawalahas) registered with the SMC/JMC. Construction workers have already been paid for one month through DBT,” he said.

Similarly, under the Business Support Category Rs 25,000 upfront now (and Rs 75,000 later) would be provided to balance SHGs in Umeed (30,000) and Rs 25,000 upfront now (and Rs 75,000 later) to women entrepreneurs/aggregators through WDC (10,000 groups of 60,000 women) and Rs 1 lakh to handloom/handicraft SHGs (20,000 SHGs) costing a total of Rs 300 crore.