Nitish Kumar transfers Rs 10.35 Cr in bank accounts of 1.03 lakh workers from Bihar

Madan Kumar | TNN | Updated: Apr 6, 2020, 22:34 IST

PATNA: Bihar on Monday became the first state to provide financial assistance to its lakhs of migrant workers stranded in other states due to the nationwide lockdown.
A total sum of more than Rs 10.35 crore was on Monday transferred directly in the bank accounts of over 1.03 lakh migrant workers who are currently stranded in other states. The amount was transferred under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Vishesh Sahayata Yojana’ from the CM relief fund.
CM Nitish Kumar launched the new scheme by clicking ‘mouse’ of a computer at the CM residence in Patna on Monday evening.
“Within minutes of clicking of ‘mouse’ by the CM, an amount of Rs 1,000 per migrant worker was transferred in the bank accounts of total 1,03,579 workers through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) system. Thus, a total sum of Rs 10,35,79,000 was transferred today,” disaster management department’s principal secretary Pratyay Amrit, who played a key role in quick implementation of the new scheme, told TOI on Monday.
Amrit said the CM discussed the new plan and expressed his desire to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to the stranded migrant workers on April 1. Acting swiftly on the CM’s wish, the disaster management department uploaded a link on its official website as well as an APP in the evening of April 3. The department asked the stranded workers to apply for the assistance either through the link or the App. The link was also sent on the phone number of all those people who were calling on Bihar government’s different helpline numbers for assistance, Amrit said.
Unexpectedly, more than 3.10 lakh Bihar origin migrant workers have so far applied for Rs 1,000 assistance either through the link on website or the App. Such huge number of applications came in just three working days.
“The link was uploaded in the evening of April 3. Around 2.84 lakh applications were received by Monday afternoon. The number rose to 3.10 lakh this evening. More applications are still pouring in on the department website,” Amrit told TOI.
“Out of 2.84 lakh applications received by this afternoon, a maximum 55,264 application came from Delhi state, followed by 41,050 from Haryana, 30,576 from Maharashtra and 25,638 from Gujarat”, an official from the CM office said. Minimum eight applications were received from Lakshadweep union territory.
Of the total 1.03 lakh workers who were provided assistance on Monday, maximum 7,281 originally hail from Saran district, followed by 6,821 from Muzaffarpur and 6,792 from Madhubani. Minimum 469 beneficiaries belong to Arwal district.