Direct Support to Farmers & Rural Economy
- 3 crore farmers with agricultural loans of Rs. 4.22 lakhs crore availed the benefit of 3 months loan moratorium.
- Interest Subvention and Prompt Repayment Incentive on crop loans, due from 1st March, extended up to 31st May, 2020
- 25 lakh new Kisan Credit Cards sanctioned with a loan limit of Rs. 25,000 cr.
Liquidity Support to Farmers & Rural Economy
- 63 lakh loans of Rs. 86,600 crore approved in Agriculture between 1.3.2020 to 30.04.2020.
- Refinancing of Rs.29,500 crore provided by NABARD, to Cooperative Banks & Regional Rural Banks in March,2020.
- Support of Rs. 4,200 crore provided under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund to States during March, 2020 for rural infrastructure
- Working capital limit of Rs. 6,700 crore sanctioned for procurement of agriculture produce to State Government entities since March, 2020
Support for Migrants and Urban Poor during last 2 months
- Government of India has permitted State Governments to utilise State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for setting up shelter for migrants and providing them food and water etc.
- Central Government also released Rs 11002 crore of its contribution in advance to all States on 3rd April, to augment funds in their SDRF.
- Hygienically prepared three meals a day provided for the residents of Shelters for Urban Homeless (SUH) during the lockdown w.e.f March 28, 2020.
- 12,000 SHGs have produced 3 crore masks and 1.20 lakh litres of sanitizers. This gave additional employment opportunity to the urban poor.
- Disbursal of Revolving Fund (RF) to Self Help Groups was on-boarded on PAiSA Portal in April 2020 on a pilot basis in Gujarat and is now being rolled out across all the States in May 2020.
- 7,200 new Self Help Groups of urban poor have been formed during the period starting 15th March, 2020.
MGNREGS support to returning Migrants
- 14.62 crore person-days of work generated till 13th May 2020
- Actual Expenditure till date is around Rs. 10,000 Cr
- Work offered to 2.33 Crore wage seekers yesterday in 1.87 Lac Gram Panchayats
- 40-50% more persons enrolled, compared to May last year
- Average wage rate rose to Rs. 202 from Rs. 182 in last FY
- Drive being undertaken to enroll returning migrants
- States/UTs advised to provide works to migrant workers as per the provisions of the Act
- Planning for continuing MNREGA works in Monsoon as well: plantations, horticulture, livestock related sheds
Labour Codes – Benefits for Workers
- Universalization of right of minimum wages and timely payment of wages to all workers including unorganized workers – presently minimum wages applicable to only 30% of workers.
- Statutory concept of National Floor Wage introduced: will reduce regional disparity in minimum wages.
- Fixation of minimum wages simplified, leading to less number of rates of minimum wages and better compliance.
- Appointment letter for all workers- this will promote formalization.
- Annual Health Check-up for employees.
- Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) Code also applicable to establishments engaged in work of hazardous nature even with threshold of less than 10 workers.
- Definition of inter-state migrant worker modified to include migrant workers employed directly by the employer, workers directly coming to destination State of their own besides the migrant workers employed through a contractor.
- Portability of welfare benefits for migrant workers.
- Extension of ESIC coverage pan-India to all districts and all establishments employing 10 or more employees as against those in notified districts/areas only.
- Extension of ESIC coverage to employees working in establishments with less than 10 employees on voluntary basis.
- Mandatory ESIC coverage through notification by the Central Government for employees in hazardous industries with less than 10 employees.
- Social Security Scheme for Gig workers and Platform workers.
- Re-skilling fund introduced for retrenched employees.
- All occupations opened for women and permitted to work at night with safeguards.
- Provision for Social Security Fund for unorganised workers.
- Gratuity for Fixed Tem Employment – Provision of gratuity on completion of one year service as against 5 years.
Free Food grain Supply to Migrants for 2 months
- Migrants in various states require food-grain assistance
- Migrants who are neither NFSA or State Card beneficiaries in the state they are stationed will be provided 5 kg of grains per person and 1 kg Chana per family per month for two months
- About 8 crores migrants are expected to benefit.
- Rs. 3500 Crore will be spent on this intervention for 2 months
- Cost will be fully borne by Government of India
- State Governments responsible for implementation, identification of migrants and full distribution and providing detailed guidelines.
Rs 5000 cr Special Credit Facility for Street Vendors
- Government will launch a special scheme within a month to facilitate easy access to credit to street vendors.
- Initial working capital up to Rs. 10,000.
- Digital payments will be incentivised through monetary rewards and enhanced working capital credit would be made available for good repayment behavior.
- Will support nearly 50 lakh street vendors
- Will provide liquidity of Rs 5000 crores
