The Centre on Thursday announced a slew of measures to provide relief to poor and vulnerable sections of the population during the COVID-19 crisis, but the efficacy of many of these will depend on a robust last-mile delivery mechanism, which has been badly affected right from the start of the 21day lockdown.
Experts said most of the announcements pertain to beneficiaries of existing schemes. Hence, anyone who is not part of the current set of programmes may not be able to access the relief measures.
They also pointed out that in some cases, such as raising the MGNREGA wages by ₹20 per day, the measures were already in the works and would have come irrespective of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, an ex gratia payment of ₹1,000 over the next three months is also minuscule, considering that it translates into around ₹330 per month.
The Centre already gives a pension of ₹200-500 per month to poor widows, handicapped and others. After the current announcements, this will go up by %330 per month for the next three months.
This story is from the March 27, 2020 edition of Business Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 27, 2020 edition of Business Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
STATES: A TRILLION DREAMS
Four states want to become 1 trillion economies. Is this realistic, or are they chasing a chimera?
PORTING REQUESTS AT 8-MONTH LOW
There was a slowdown in Indians switching service providers towards the end of the year, as the top two telecom operators consolidated their positions.
Separate rules for civilian and defence use of drones on cards
Different sets of regulations will soon govern the use of drones by civilians and security personnel, Vumlunmang Vualnam, secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, said at a conference in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Namma Yatri drives into Bengaluru with zero commission cab service
Mobility app Namma Yatri on Tuesday announced the launch of its cab services in Bengaluru.
Invest in silver gradually or on pullbacks after rally
Opt for a silver ETF or a FoF having low expense ratio and tracking error
SFB stocks on upswing, rally likely to continue
Analysts see growth potential and advise investors to retain their holdings
RBI, Sebi plan panel to weigh derivatives risk
Top financial regulators will form a committee to assess stability risks emerging from a surge in derivatives markets and suggest policy changes if required, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Oil & gas: Investors must brace for negative impact in Q1 FY25
Escalation of the conflict in West Asia between Israel and Iran has had a direct impact on the energy markets, and more broadly on the financial markets as well as the global economy.
Smallcaps break free from grip of West Asia flare-up
Defy the odds, with Nifty Smallcap 100 gaining 0.75%
Jio Fin shares rally after broking foray
Jio Financial Services' plan to step into wealth management and stock broking business, in partnership with global asset manager BlackRock, got a thumbs up from investors, with its stock rallying as much as 5 per cent on Tuesday.
