Maharashtra Deputy CM instructs immediate implementation of COVID-19 package

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday instructed implementation of the Rs 5,476 -crore relief package announced by the state government on a "war level" to cushion the impact on vulnerable sections of the stricter curbs currently imposed to contain COVID-19.
According to an official statement here, Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, asked the administration to disburse the funds under the package immediately.

Pawar issued instructions for a war-level implementation of the Rs 5,476-crore package at a meeting held to review steps taken to provide help to the poor and other weaker sections in the wake of the tough COVID-19 measures.

Ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Eknath Shinde, Anil Parab, Hasan Mushrif Dhananjay Munde, Vijay Wadettiwar and others took part in the meeting, the statement said.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had announced the package to minimise the adverse impact of the lockdown-like curbs on public movement and non-essential activities, which came into force on April 14 night and will remain valid till 7 am on May 1 in Maharashtra, the worst COVID-19-hit state.

Thackeray had said that 12 lakh registered construction workers in the state will get Rs 1,500 during the period while license holding auto-rickshaw operators will receive Rs 1,500. There are 12 lakh such auto-rickshaw drivers, according to a government notification issued on April 13.

Also, the registered hawkers will get Rs 2,500 during the same period, he had said.

The number of registered beneficiaries under various state and central schemes such as the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar, Shravanbal and the Indira Gandhi National pension scheme in the state stood at 35 lakh, the notification had said.

They will get Rs 2,000 for the next two months, it had said. Also, 12 lakh adivasi families will get Rs 2,000 for a month as financial assistance, Thackeray had announced.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever