Coronavirus: PM Modi said that government took the right steps at the right time that helped to save the lives of people from the deadly virus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the government has taken tough steps to fight coronavirus and also to take care of the economy. Presenting an account of the government’s decisions to help those affected by the lockdown, PM Modi said that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana has proved beneficial for all sections of the society. He said that immediate relief has been provided to the poor by the government under this scheme who are facing the brunt of the lockdown.

“Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, ration has been delivered to the houses of 74 crore beneficiaries. Free ration is also being delivered to migrant workers,” he said while addressing the Annual Session of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to mark its 125 years of its inception on Tuesday.

He said that more than Rs 53,000 crore of financial assistance has been given to poor families. Women, divyang, senior citizens and migrants all are the beneficiaries of this scheme, the Prime Minister said.

“During the lockdown, the government delivered over 8 crore gas cylinders to the doorstep of the poor free of cost,” PM Modi said.

“24% EPF contributions have been deposited into the accounts of around 50 lakh private sector employees. Around Rs 800 crore have been deposited so far,” he said.

He said that the government took the right steps at the right time that helped to save the lives of people from the deadly virus.

“When corona was wreaking havoc in other countries, India took the right steps at the right time. If you compare with other nations, lockdown has yielded a positive impact,” he said.

“The country today has entered the unlock phase 1. Many economic activities have opened and more will open from June 8,” he said.

The opposition parties are criticising the Modi government over its handling of the Coronavirus situation. The Congress party has termed as the Rs 20 lakh crore economic package a ‘cruel joke’ and demanded from the Centre to deposit Rs 7,500 into the bank accounts of the poor.