Corona Lockdown: Centre Announces Rs 1.7 Lakh Crore Relief Package For Poor

New Delhi: Saying that the Centre “doesn’t want anyone to remain hungry”, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced a comprehensive relief package of Rs 1,70,000 crore for both urban and rural poor to deal with the impact of coronavirus .

“The government has been working to reach out to women, migrant workers, and the disadvantaged section of the society. We have come out with a package that will address concerns of these people. We are looking at two aspects: Cash transfer and food security related measures,” Sitharaman said at a press briefing.

The 1,70,000 crore scheme, dubbed as the “Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Yojana”, will “address the concerns of poor, migrant workers and those who need help” to tide over the added challenge of lockdown and job loss, the minister said.

“We don’t want anyone to remain hungry, or without money. So we will be giving enough,” she added.

The finance minister also expressed gratitude for all those “frontline warriors” who are dealing with patients affected by coronavirus.

“They could be ASHA workers, nurses, doctors. They are being referred to as ‘God in white costumes’. For them, we are providing an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person,” Sitharaman said.