Lok Sabha Question No. 51 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-02
Subject: Special Schemes during Corona Pandemic
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Kaushal Kishore, Uday Pratap Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 51

ANSWERED ON 02.02.2021

## SPECIAL SCHEMES DURING CORONA PANDEMIC.

51. SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE: SHRI UDAY PRATAP SINGH:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the details regarding the special schemes run by the Government during the Corona pandemic and their present status including the schemes started for migrant workers returning to their homes;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  considering  to  continue  the  said  schemes  in  the  near future, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  any  funds  has  been  allocated  for  the  said  schemes  and  if  so,  the  details thereof, State-wise including Uttar Pradesh; and
- (d) whether independent evaluation of these schemes is being done by any third party besides the department and concerned States and if so, the details thereof including in Uttar Pradesh?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) Ministry of Finance, Government of India, on 26th March 2020, announced relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) for the poor to help them fight the battle against  Corona  Virus.  The  relief  package  announced  includes  inter-alia  one-time  ex-gratia payment of Rs 500 per month for 3 months (April, May and June 2020) to women Jan Dhan Account holders. In pursuance of this, Ministry of Rural Development implemented the scheme of relief package of one-time ex-gratia payment of Rs 500 per month for 3 months (April, May and  June  2020)  to  women  Jan  Dhan  Account  holders  through  various  Banks.  A  total  of Rs. 30956.97 crores has been released towards direct benefit transfers to Women beneficiaries of Jan Dhan account holders under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) @ Rs. 500/- each for three months.

Another component of the said PMGKY package was to provide ex-gratia of Rs.1000 in two instalments (Rs.500/- each) to the existing old age, widow and disabled/Divyangjan beneficiaries of the schemes of National Social Assistance Programme(NSAP).  A total of Rs. 2814.50 crore as ex-gratia was released in two tranches in April and May, 2020 to States/UTs under PMGKY for the existing 282 lakh beneficiaries of NSAP schemes. It was also announced that limit for collateral free loan for SHGs would be enhanced from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 20 lakhs.

Apart from this, the Garib Kalyan RojgarAbhiyaan (GKRA) was launched on 20 th June, 2020 to boost  employment  and  livelihood  opportunities  for  returnee  migrant  workers  and  similarly affected  citizens  in  rural  area,  in  the  wake  of  COVID-19  pandemic.  The  objectives  of  the Abhiyaan were to provide immediate employment & livelihood opportunities to the distressed, to saturate  the  villages  with  public  infrastructure  and  creation  of  livelihood  assets  to  boost  the income generation activities and enhance long term livelihood opportunities by giving focus on 25 works in 116 selected districts across 6 States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan  and  Uttar  Pradesh.  The  Abhiyaan  has  started  with  resource  envelope  of  Rs.50,000 Crore with estimated employment generation of 40.34 Crore Persondays from 20 th June, 2020 to 22 nd October, 2020. The Abhiyaan is a convergent effort of ongoing schemes of 12 Ministries/Department  of  Central  Government.  The  Abhiyaan  had  achieved  an  employment generation of 50.78 Crore Person-days with a total expenditure incurred of Rs.39,293 Crore.

(b)    All  the  above  mentioned  special  measures  implemented  by  this  Ministry  are  one  time measures with reference to the Corona pandemic situation. There is no such proposal for their continuation.

(c)    No  separate  State-wise  allocation  of  funds  including  that  of  Uttar  Pradesh  under  these measures has been made.

(d) There has been no third party independent evaluation for these special measures including that of Uttar Pradesh.

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