Lok Sabha Question No. 822 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-07
Subject: Economic Disparity
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Deepak Baij

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.822

TO BE ANSWERED ON FEBRUARY 7, 2022

## ECONOMIC DISPARITY

## 822. SHRI DEEPAK BAIJ:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the economic disparity has gone up in the country during the period of Covid-19 pandemic and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the number of people who have fallen below poverty line in the country during this period;
- (c) the details and the number of people who have become new billionaires in the country during the last two years; and
- (d) whether the Government policies have led to a wide gap between the rich and poor in the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d) To supplement its existing developmental schemes, Government made several targeted interventions to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of the people, particularly the vulnerable sections of the society. Some of the key initiatives taken in this regard are listed below.

Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Yojana  (PMGKY): In  March  2020,  Government  announced  a Rs.1.70  lakh  crore  relief  package  under  the  'Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Yojana'  (PMGKY). Some components of the package include:

-  Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): PMGKAY was announced for all beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) covering around 80 Crore persons for providing additional 5 kg of foodgrains (Wheat or Rice) per beneficiary per month and 1 kg of pulses per NFSA household, free of cost for a period of 8 months (April-November  2020),  over  and  above  their  NFSA  entitlements.  In  2021,  PM-GKAY benefits were announced for a period of two months i.e., May 2021 and June 2021 for free distribution of 5 kg of rice and wheat free of cost to 80 crore NFSA beneficiaries over and above their NFSA entitlements. This was extended for further period of five months up to November,  2021.  In  view  of  the  prevailing  situation  in  the  country  due  to  Covid-19,  the scheme has been further extended for further period of four months i.e. from December, 2021 to March, 2022.
-  Food allocation for migrant workers: Government allocated a total quantity of about 8 Lakh MT of foodgrains to all States/UTs under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme to help mitigate  the  food-security  requirements  of  migrant/stranded  migrants  across  the  country. This scheme specially provided to cover all such persons who were neither covered under

the National Food Security Act nor under any other State public distribution system (PDS) scheme  or  were  not able to access  PDS  foodgrains  for any reason, during the unprecedented  COVID-19  situation,  5  kg  foodgrains  per  person  per  month  were  to  be provided free of cost under the programme to eligible beneficiaries identified by the State governments during May-June 2020.

## 2.  Other measures under PMGKY:

-  Insurance cover of Rs 50 Lakh per health worker fighting COVID-19.
-  20 crore women Jan Dhan account holders given Rs 500 per month for three months.
-  Increase in Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) wage to Rs 202 a day from Rs 182 to benefit 13.62 crore families.
-  An ex-gratia of Rs 1,000 to 3 crore poor senior citizens, poor widows and poor disabled provided.
-  Government front-loaded Rs 2,000 paid to farmers in first week of April 2020 under existing PM Kisan Yojana to benefit 8.7 crore farmers
-  Building and Construction Workers Welfare Fund to be used by the Government to provide relief to Construction Workers
-  Three free of cost LPG cylinders to 8 crore beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana (PMUY) for three months w.e.f. 01.04.2020 was provided. Cash advances were transferred to the bank account of the beneficiaries. The Scheme was extended till September 30, 2020 for  those  beneficiaries  who  have  been  credited  with  the  advance  for  buying  first/Second cylinder, but not able to buy the cylinders till 30th June 2020.
-  Wage-earners, earning  below  Rs  15,000 per  month,  in  businesses  having  less  than  100 workers, were provided twenty-four percent of the monthly wages into their provident fund accounts,  for  three  months  to  prevent  disruption  in  their  employment.  The  scheme  was extended for another three months, till August 2020.
-  Limit of collateral free lending was increased from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 20 lakhs for women organized  through  63  lakh  Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs),  thereby  supporting  6.85  crore households.
-  Employees' Provident Fund Regulations was amended to include Pandemic as the reason to allow non-refundable advance of 75 percent of the amount or three months of the wages, whichever is lower, from the accounts of the employees.

## 3.  Other Programmes

Various  targeted  schemes  aiming  to  improve  the  quality  of  life  of  the  people  and  reduce poverty  in  the  country  were  already  underway  even  before  the  pandemic.  These  include Pradhan  Mantri  Jan-DhanYojana  (PMJDY),  Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana  -  National  Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission  (DAY-NULM),  Pradhan  Mantri  Awaas  Yojana  (PMAY),  National  Health  Mission (NHM),  Pradhan  Mantri  Jeevan  Jyoti  BimaYojana,  Pradhan  Mantri  Suraksha  Bima  Yojana, Atal  Pension  Yojana,  Aspirational  Districts  Programme,  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Mandhan Yojana, Stand Up India Scheme, Skill India Mission, Start Up India Scheme, One nation one ration  card  scheme,  Pradhan  Mantri  Shram  Yogi  Man-dhan  yojana,  PM  Mudra  Yojana, Ayushman Bharat Scheme, AMRUT Scheme, Sansad Adharsh Gram Yojana.