Karnataka rolls out Rs 1,112-crore aid for unorganised workers

BENGALURU: Ten days after imposing a complete lockdown in the state , chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday announced a relief package of Rs 1,112 crore for those in distress due to restrictions. This includes a one-time Rs 3,000 cash assistance for workers in the unorganised sector, mainly taxi and autorickshaw drivers, and crop loss compensation for flower growers and horticulture farmers.

"We've done the best we could within the current financial constraints to alleviate the suffering of people affected by the lockdown," hesaid.
Last year, Karnataka was the first state to announce a relief package of Rs 1,610 crore when a national lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Yediyurappa said Rs 3,000 would be given to autorickshaw/cab drivers and construction workers registered with the Karnataka State Construction Workers Welfare Board. Barbers, porters, tailors, ragpickers, potters, mechanics and roadside vendors registered under the Atma Nirbhar Fund would get Rs 2000 each. "The amount will be directly transferred to bank accounts," the CM said.
Yediyurappa also announced plans to hire 2,150 doctors in the next three days to ramp up Covid treatment facilities across the state.
Farmers get more time to repay loans
He added that floriculture farmers will get a compensation of Rs 10,000 per hectare while horticulture farmers will get a maximum relief of Rs 10,000 irrespective of losses they suffered due to lockdown. In all, 89,000 farmers will benefit from this. Over 16,000 artists and artists’ groups registered with the Kannada & Culture department will also receive Rs 3,000 each.
The package also deferred repayment of loans availed by farmers and self-help groups from cooperative societies till July
31. “The government will bear the interest component for three months,” he said.
The government will give free ration up to 5kgs of foodgrains and 10kgs of foodgrains at subsidised rate of Rs 15 per kg which will benefit 4.3 crore beneficiaries. This will cost the exchequer Rs 204 crore.
The government will also distribute free food packets to over 6 lakh beneficiaries in Bengaluru through 174 Indira Canteens and 15 kitchens until the lockdown is lifted.
The government will release Rs 50,000 each to all 6,000 gram panchayats under provisions of the State Disaster Response Fund as part of a contingency relief package. “We have set aside over Rs 30 crore for this,” he added.