Chandigarh March 23: Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal today announced a special financial package to help those living Below Poverty Line (BPL) and people of Low Income Groups like daily wage workers, labourers, street vendors and construction workers so that they do not face any difficulty to meet their day-to-day requirements during the period of lockdown.

Mr Manohar Lal announced the financial package while addressing the first Digital Press Conference at Chandigarh today.

The Chief Minister said that all BPL families would be provided their monthly rations for the month of April free of cost. This would include rice or wheat as per their entitlement, mustard oil and 1 kg sugar. All school children enrolled in Government schools and all children in anganwadis would be provided dry rations for the period the schools and anganwadis are closed.

He said that families registered under Mukhyamantri Parivar Samriddhi Yojana (MMPSY) are being provided Rs 4000 with contributions to the different insurance and pension schemes. As on date around 12.38 lakh families have registered under MMPSY. The balance amount of Rs 2000 per family would be released before March 31 to all the registered families whose verification has been completed. A further sum of Rs 6000 would be provided to such families in the month of April, he added.

The Chief Minister said that those who have been registered with the Haryana Board of Construction Workers but have not registered under MMPSY would be provided a sum of Rs 4500 per month on weekly basis starting March 30, 2020. The sum would be paid directly into their bank account. He said that all BPL families who have not registered under MMPSY would also be provided a sum of Rs 4500 per month on weekly basis starting March 30, 2020. The sum would be deposited into their bank account.

He said that poor persons who were earning on daily basis such as mazdoors, street vendors etc. may register with the Deputy Commissioner of the district on a portal that would be established by March 27, 2020. All such persons who are found eligible and have a bank account would be directly provided an assistance of Rs 1000 per week. All positive coronavirus patients, if requiring hospitalisation, would be given the benefit of free hospitalisation, irrespective of whether the treatment is in a private or government hospital, he further added.

He said that all health workers and frontline workers involved in combating the pandemic would be provided accident insurance (ex-gratia) of Rs 10 lakhs. Government would ensure that all contractual workers with Government would receive their wages even if they were unable to perform their work during the period of lockdown. All industries and commercial establishments are being advised that they would not retrench or remove any employee for their absence during the period of lockdown. Assistance would be provided for facilitating e-payments. In case any domestic, commercial or small industrial consumer is unable to pay their electricity bills in time, then no surcharge or interest on delayed payment would be charged till April 15.

He said that in case of delay in payment of water or sewerage bills by the due date, then no surcharge or interest would be charged till April 15. Similarly, the due date of all taxes under the Haryana Motor Vehicle Taxation Act would be extended by one month to April 30, 2020. Also, stage and contract carriage vehicles would be given 100 per cent exemption from the Motor Vehicle Taxation for the period they are not allowed to ply in view of the lockdown, he said adding that no penalty would be charged for any delay with respect to the vehicles, which become due for renewal/passing from March 15, 2020 to April 30. A special package for agriculture and farmers shall be announced by the Government by March 28, 2020, he said.

Among those present on this occasion included Chief Secretary Mrs Keshni Anand Arora, Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare Mr Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Mr T.V.S.N Prasad, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister , Mr V.Umashankar and Principal OSD to Chief Minister Mr Neeraj Daftuar.