The J&K administration on Tuesday reached out to pandemic affected families of the Union Territory (UT) and announced a slew of financial assistance measures.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said senior citizens, who have lost the only earning member(s) of the family, will be provided special pension for life while children, who have lost their parents, will be provided with special scholarship.
“Many of our near and dear ones have left us untimely due to COVID-19. The government has decided to reach out to each and every such family and they will be provided with financial assistance for self-employment by the Jammu & Kashmir Bank,” the Lt. Governor said.
The government has also decided to provide ₹1,000 per month to all registered construction workers, ponywalas, palkiwalas and pithuwalas for the next two months.
“The government is also adopting other mitigation strategies and all concerned officers have been directed to ensure the supply of ration to all ration card holders on priority. Instalments of social welfare schemes like old-age pension, Laadli Beti etc and PMAY, MGNREGA, and other welfare schemes will be released immediately,” the Lt. Governor said.
He said ₹55 crore would be released under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to all the Deputy Commissioners, both Divisional Commissioners and J&K police for emergency use during the crisis.
“₹2 crore will be released to all 20 Deputy Commissioners, ₹5 crore to both Divisional Commissioners and ₹5 crore to J&K police for emergency use under the SDRF.”
