Union Minister Prakash Javedekar has announced that people below the poverty line across the country will be given wheat at Rs2 per kg and rice at Rs 3 per kg at concessional rates for the next three months. The decision came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with the Union Ministers on the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The Modi led government approved the world’s largest food security scheme. Every person will get 27 kg ration per month for the next three months, in which the wheat will be priced at Rs 2 per kg, instead of Rs 27 per kg and rice at Rs 3 per kg instead of Rs 37 per kg.
Prakash Javedekar asserted that contractual labours will be given their salaries. He also assured that no shortage of food products and essential goods will be there during the lockdown imposed by the threat of Wuhan Coronavirus. It was evident that immediately after lockdown, grocery stores across the country saw a sudden surge of buyers rushing towards grocery items to keep the household running during the lockdown.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that free cooked food will be provided twice a day to the homeless in who are staying at night shelters and his government will provide free ration to over 72 lakh people and the quantity will be increased from 5kg to 7 kg to those who are holding ration cards.
The Chattisgarh government had on Tuesday issued a notification stating that rice and dal will be distributed to ration card holders, students, and others. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday announced Rs 1,000 to all ration card holders, free rice, sugar, and other essential commodities.
All the cabinet ministers were physically present at the PM’s residence for the meeting and were seen sitting at a distance from each other in view of the novel coronavirus crisis. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has also approved the recapitalization of regional rural banks to improve their capital to risk-weighted assets ratio. It also approves the utilization of Rs 670 Crores of central government share for the scheme.