FREE LPG, 50 LAKH MEDICAL INSURANCE COVER AND MORE: COMPLETE LIST OF WELFARE MEASURES ANNOUNCED BY FM NIRMALA SITHARAMAN!

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Thursday, 26 March, announced a slew of welfare measures as the entire country is under a complete lockdown owing to COVID-19 crisis.

"The government has been working so that those affected due to the novel coronavirus since the lockdown commenced on the intervening night of 24-25 March, will be reached out. We have come up with a package which will take care of the welfare concerns of the poor."

Nirmala Sitharaman announced medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per health worker for three months.

'Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Scheme' for Rs 1.7 lakh crore that includes food security and cash transfers to the poor and migrants was announced. Everyone under the scheme will get 5 kg of wheat/rice for free in addition to what they are already getting. One kg of one choice of pulse to each household will also be provided for the next three months.

Cash transfer under PMGKAY will be through DBT in eight parts. A total of 80 crore people including Farmers, MNREGA, widows, poor pensioners, divyang, women under Jan Dhan Yojana, women and households under Ujjwala scheme, self-help groups for women especially under the livelihood mission, organized sector workers under EPFO, construction workers and district mineral funds will be benefitted from the scheme.