Economic Package Part 2: List Of SOPs Announced By FM Sitharaman For Stressed Migrant Workers

Finance Minister announced a slew of measures to provide much-need assistance and aid to migrants who have been facing the worst of coronavirus lockdown in the country.

Photo: ANI

New Delhi: Addressing the plight of migrants who are facing a loss of employment and don't have enough to feed themselves and their families, the central government is set to provide them with 5Kg grains per person and 1Kg chana per family for 2 months. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced this assistance in a press conference on Thursday under the Aatmanibhar Bharat Package. She added that about 8 crore migrants are expected to benefit from this decision. A whopping Rs 3500 crore is going to be spent on this drive and the cost will be borne fully by the Indian government at the centre. However, the Finance Minister has stated that the implementation of this initiative completely relies on the efficiency of state government in extending this aid to the poor who need it the most. State governments are responsible for identifying the families that are in desperate need of food and have to distribute it among them according to proper guidelines over the same.

▪️ Free Food grain supply to #Migrants for 2 months ▪️ About 8 crores migrants to benefit from this ▪️ Rs. 3500 Crore will be spent on this intervention for 2 months: @nsitharaman

at the #AatmaNirbharBharatPackage media briefing pic.twitter.com/2Kn8I7DXbS — PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 14, 2020

WATCH: Rs 11,000 crores given to set up shelters for migrants: FM Apart from providing food, the government has committed to do the following for the migrants:

• Provide affordable housing complexes to the workers a scheme under PMAY - Government-funded houses will be converted for creating Affordable Rental Housing Complexes.
• One Nation One Ration Card to enable migrants to get food from any fair price shop across the country by using one ration card. The national portability will cover 67 crore beneficiaries in 23 states - 100 % national portability aimed to be achieved by March 2021.
• Introduce 'National Floor Wages' - for implementing uniform minimum wages across all states as presently only 30% of workers receive them. Simpler norms to enable better compliance.
• Have appointment letters to formalize the employments, annual health checkups, occupational safety & health (OSH) to workers working in hazardous condition even for units having less than 10 workers.
• All occupations to be available for hiring women and appropriate security for working at night. Re-skilling retrenched workers to utilise their potential elsewhere.
• Social security scheme for gig workers and platform workers. Social security for unorganized workers and setting up of gratuity for fixed-term employment.

The Finance Minister had also previously, revealed the measures undertaken by the central government so far to aid the migrants:

• Work offered to 2.33 crore wagers in 1.87 lakh panchayats under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
• Generated 14.62 crore person-days of work till May 13, which was 40-50 percent more compared with May 2019.
• Allowed states to use the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to set up shelters and provide food and water to the urban poor, including migrant labourers. Rs 11,000 crore was sent for this.
• 7,200 new SHGs had been formed to generate employment during lockdown.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Finance Minister had announced a slew of fiscal and regulatory measures for MSMEs, real estate, NBFCs, power distribution and general businesses and workers. The measures revealed on Thursday focus on the migrant labourers/workers, farmers and street vendors who have been worst-hit by the countrywide coronavirus lockdown.