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Cash, Food Transfer Under Rs 1.7 Lakh Crore Relief Package Nearly Complete

The government said it has nearly completed transfer of cash and food grains under PM Garib Kalyan scheme.

Migrant workers and their families carry their luggage while walking through a near-empty Connaught Place  in New Delhi, India. (Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg)
Migrant workers and their families carry their luggage while walking through a near-empty Connaught Place in New Delhi, India. (Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg)

India said it has completed handing cash to poor under its Rs 1.7 lakh crore PM Garib Kalyan package, and is in the process of providing remaining food grains.

The package included Rs 33,766 crore cash transfer to women Jan Dhan account holders, senior citizens and disabled, according to a statement by the Ministry of Finance.

About 17,891 crore has been transferred as a front-loaded payment to farmers under the PM Kisan Scheme, which was also part of the Rs 1.7 lakh crore scheme. About Rs 4,313 crore was disbursed to 2.3 crore building and construction workers by state governments, the statement said.

The government also spent Rs 996.5 crore in paying 12% EPF contribution each for employers and employees for 65.74 lakh beneficiaries.

Food Support

About 8.52 crore cylinders under PM Ujjwala Yojana have been booked and already delivered for April and May. The government spent Rs 8,488 crore in providing free cylinders in two instalments, according to the statement.

Over 37 lakh metric tonnes of food grains have been distributed to 74.03 crore beneficiaries by 36 states and union territories for April, the statement said. Another 36 lakh MT of food grains have been distributed to 72.83 crore beneficiaries for May, and 13.59 lakh MT to 27.18 crore beneficiaries in June.

The government had announced that 80 crore poor will get 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses free every month from April to June.

Of the 5.8 lakh MT pulses allocated for three months, 3.35 lakh MT has been distributed to 16.3 crore households out of 19.4 crore such beneficiaries as on June 19.