LUCKNOW: In a bid to help sustain the labour class during the coronavirus outbreak, UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced a series of sops including monetary help of Rs 1,000 to around 35 lakh people working as daily wagers, sanitation workers and small vendors in the state. The amount will be directly transferred into their bank accounts.
Moreover, 1,65,31,000 families that are dependent on MNREGA will be given a month’s food grain including 20 kg wheat and 12 kg rice free of cost through public distribution system shops. Special teams of officials in each district have been set up to fulfil this task successfully, said the CM.
“Pensioners in the state will get their pension in advance during this period,” assured the CM.
Giving the breakup of the 35 lakh labourers to get the benefit of Rs 1000, the CM said the state had 20.37 lakh registered daily wagers and over 15 lakh small vendors and rickshaw pullers who are dependent on their daily income to make both ends meet.
Two days ago, the state government has set up a three-member committee comprising state Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi and Labour Minister Swami Prasad Maurya. The decision to help the labourers and small vendors has been taken on the basis of the recommendations of the panel.
In an address to the people of the state on Saturday morning, CM Yogi said, “In the wake of the current situation, we have decided to give Rs 1,000 to daily wage labourers, rickshaw pullers etc. who are registered with the labour department. About 15 lakh people who are dependent on daily income for their livelihood will also be given the same monetary relief. The exercise will be carried out with the help of the labour department.”
Stressing the need to adopt stringent measures, the chief minister said the outbreak could be stopped only with collective efforts. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and urged people to avoid gatherings. Coronavirus is in its second stage in our country and if we get success in stopping it here, it will be a message for the whole world. This spread can be stopped only by stringent measures. A sufficient number of isolation wards have been set up across UP and many more are in the process of being set up to meet any exigency," he said.
The CM also announced that of the 23 people who had tested positive in Uttar Pradesh and were convalescing in hospitals, nine had already recovered and tested negative for the virus. “The other 14 are also recovering well in different hospitals. We need to be prepared to fight this disease. The government has taken this measure to minimise the effect of the virus in the state,” maintained the CM.
He urged people not to panic in the given scenario, saying, “We have an ample supply of food and medicines. Our only motive is to bring the level of infection down to zero. People should not hoard supplies and make unnecessary purchases. The government will not allow a shortage of anything in the state.”
Adityanath also urged people to follow the guidelines issued by the government as well as the health protocol to minimise the spread of the virus. He appealed to people to observe the ‘Janata Curfew’ on Sunday, as requested by PM Modi.
Meanwhile, the total COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday reached 23, with nine cases in Lucknow, eight in Agra, four in Noida, two in Ghaziabad and one in Lakhimpur-Kheri.