How Collective India striving to pin Covid-19

India is gearing up to take on Covid-19 in a robust manner. Janata Curfew has been converted into a three-week long protracted battle against the invisible enemy. Now comes the sharing part.

The Centre has come forward and announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for the poor to help them fight the battle against coronavirus.

The break-up of this package is as follows: Insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per health worker fighting Covid-19 to be provided under Insurance Scheme. In all 80 crore poor people will to get 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses for free every month for the next three months. 20 crore women Jan Dhan account holders to get Rs 500 per month for next three months. Increase in MNREGA wage to Rs 202 a day from Rs 182 to benefit 13.62 crore families. An ex gratia of Rs 1,000 to 3 crore poor senior citizen, poor widows and poor disabled. The Government to front-load Rs 2,000 paid to farmers in first week of April under existing PM Kisan Yojana to benefit 8.7 crore farmers. Central Government has given orders to State Governments to use Building and Construction Workers Welfare Fund to provide relief to Construction Workers.

Various components of these packages are: Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, --Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, Cash transfers Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, Help to low wage earners in organised sectors, Support for senior citizens (above 60 years), widows and Divyang, under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, MNREGA wages would be increased by Rs 20 with effect from 1 April, 2020. Wage increase under MNREGA will provide an additional Rs 2,000 benefit annually to a worker. Self-Help groups, Women organised through 63 lakhs Self Help Groups (SHGs) support 6.85 crore households, Limit of collateral free lending would be increased from Rs 10 to Rs 20 lakh.

Employees' Provident Fund Regulations will be amended to include Pandemic as the reason to allow non-refundable advance of 75 per cent of the amount or three months of the wages, whichever is lower, from their accounts., In addition the governments will be allowed to utilise, Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Fund and will also be asked to utilise the funds available under District Mineral Fund (DMF) for supplementing and augmenting facilities of medical testing, screening and other requirements in connection with preventing the spread of Covid-19 pandemic as well as treating the patients affected with this pandemic.

The State Governments too have evolved their own financial packages and helplines.

The Collective India is gearing up to contribute its might. Film stars are coming forward with contributions – the south, especially the Telugu film world, has shown the others a way.

One crore BJP workers have declared each of them would take care of five of the marginalised society members.