Karnataka: BSY Govt Rolls Out Rs 1111.8 Crore Package For Blue Collar Workers To Safeguard Them From Lockown Impact

The BS Yediyurappa-led Karnataka state government has rolled out a special financial package worth Rs 1111.8 crore for the unorganised and the economically weaker sections amid the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rs 10,000 per hectare will be provided out to horticulturists and flower growers who have suffered losses due to the statewide lockdown.

The amount will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries and this initiative is set to benefit around 69,000 fruit and vegetable cultivators along with 20,000 flower growers.

Similarly, Rs 3,000 per person will be given to cab and auto drivers along with construction workers and artistes. Tailors, barbers and street vendors will receive Rs 2,000 each and even additional ration has been sanctioned under the public distribution system (PDS).

Moreover, the deadline for the repayment of loans of farmers, self-help groups, land development banks and private cooperative societies has also been extended till 31 July.

“We are announcing this package despite the state’s fiscal health not in a good condition. I have directed the finance department to transfer the amount to the bank accounts of beneficiaries without delay,” Chief Minister Yediyurappa was quoted in a report by the Economic Times.