The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday announced that it will compensate the daily wage earners in the state by transferring Rs 1000 directly in the bank accounts of needy people to help them meet their daily needs amidst the Coronavirus outbreak. CM Yogi Adityanath tweeted to inform that around 1.65 crore needy people will be provided with free ration for one month. Moreover, the families which are not getting benefits under any government scheme, they will be provided an assistance of Rs 1000 per month by the state government.
लगभग 1.65 करोड़ जरूरतमंदों को एक माह निःशुल्क राशन, माह अप्रैल में उपलब्ध कराया जाएगा। जो परिवार किसी सरकारी योजना से आच्छादित नहीं है, यदि उनके भरण-पोषण की व्यवस्था नहीं है, तो हम समुचित प्रावधानों के तहत उन्हें भी ₹1000 प्रतिमाह की सहायता उपलब्ध कराएंगे।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) March 21, 2020
As the economic slowdown caused due to the rapid spread of the Novel disease has affected the livelihoods of many daily wage labourers, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in a press conference held on March 21, announced that “Rs 1000 each will be given 15 lakh daily wage labourers and 20.37 lakh construction workers via direct benefit transfer to help them meet their daily needs.”
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath: Rs 1000 each will be given 15 lakh daily wage labourers and 20.37 lakh construction workers to help them meet their daily needs https://t.co/CRxZkoaHEt
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 21, 2020
The CM also informed that Pension earners under Uttar Pradesh government will be paid advance pension for two months, which will be paid in April. Moreover, Rs 565 crore for jobs already completed under MNREGA will also be paid soon.
Earlier, on March 18, Yogi Adityanath had taken to Twitter to announce that the loss of wages of the daily earners due to the coronavirus outbreak will be compensated with the state help for which a committee had been set up.
He also appealed to the people that there was no need to panic over coronavirus. He further assured that the state has taken adequate measures and has sufficient stock of essential commodities and medicines. “We have sufficient stock of essential commodities and medicines in the state. So, please don’t rush to shops to buy things and hoard commodities,” he said.
#WATCH I appeal people to not panic over #coronavirus. We’ve sufficient stock of essential commodities and medicines in the state. So please don’t rush to shops to buy things and hoard commodities: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath pic.twitter.com/UxgRHeZnat
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 21, 2020
Yogi Adityanath urged people to adhere to ‘Janata curfew’ called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. “All metro rail, state and city bus services in the state will remain closed tomorrow,” the Chief Minister said.
The BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh has taken up several strict measures to combat the deadly Covid-19 while making sure that the state does not suffer due to the crisis.
It announced that the state government will bear the medical expenses of those infected with the deadly virus.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also announced that there will be no deduction of salary for those patients who take leave for coronavirus treatment.
According to the reports, the state government has also constituted a high-level committee to provide them with the required monetary support. The three-member committee, headed by the UP finance minister and comprising the state agriculture and labour ministers, has been asked by chief minister Yogi Adityanath to submit a report within three days.
“The committee will analyse the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak so that the livelihood of the poor and daily wage earners is not affected. The state intends to provide money to these people through the real-time gross settlement (RTGS) medium,” UP cabinet minister Shrikant Sharma confirmed to the media.
In the backdrop of Coronavirus health crisis, the Uttar Pradesh government has banned all forms of protest and demonstrations in the state to protect the general public from this pandemic. Meanwhile, the CM has directed for the closure of all schools, colleges, and educational institutions till April 2, while also suspending all competitive and academic board examinations. Earlier, the schools and colleges were closed till March 22 even as the ongoing exams were not disturbed.
The government has also decided to close down all the tourist sports till March 31, although the process of sanitising these places would continue, said the minister. “The state government has decided to implement the central government advisory pertaining to coronavirus in totality,” he added.
Speaking on the preparedness of the state to handle the crisis, Sharma added the CM Yogi Adityanath had appealed to the people to avoid crowded places and not to panic on the issue, although the masses should exercise caution and spread awareness. All the cinema halls and multiplexes have also been ordered to close down till April 2 in UP even as the respective district magistrates have been directed to speed up the awareness campaign through posters and banners.
“At present, the state is under stage II of coronavirus and with effective campaign and public awareness, we can prevent it from reaching the critical stage III,” Sharma underlined.
Meanwhile, the government has advised the private companies to allow their employees to work from home, while a committee headed by the state chief secretary has been constituted to suggest similar measures for the government employees. The state government has mandated free treatment of coronavirus patients, while the government and non-government employees have been assured that their salaries would not be cut during the work of the home regime.
Till now, 23 coronavirus positive cases have been identified in UP which includes Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, against whom the Lucknow police have registered a case for negligence, disobedience of order issued to curtail the spread of Coronavirus, after she allegedly tried to hide her travel history, defy self-isolation protocols and even evaded screening.
Recently the Yogi Adityanath government had warned to take strict action against those who will not cooperate with the authorities to control the novel coronavirus outbreak and spread misinformation and panic among the people.
