FM Sitharaman Announces Free Food Grain To All Migrants For Next Two Months

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 14 announced the supply of free food grain to all migrants for two months.

This is part of the three measures the government has proposed to support migrant workers, who are making their way to their respective states after the announcement of national lockdown, on May 14.

The first step, she announced, will be free foodgrain supply to all migrants for the next two months.

"For non-(PDS) cardholders, they shall be given 5kg wheat/rice per person and 1 kg chana per family/month for 2 months. 8 crore migrants will benefit from this and Rs 3500 crores to be spent on this," the finance minister said.

"State governments will be the implementing agencies," Sitharaman said.

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On May 13, The PM CARES fund had allocated Rs Rs 1,000 crore for care of migrant labourers.

For strengthening the existing measures being taken for the welfare of the migrants and the poor, states and UTs will be given a lump sum assistance  totalling Rs 1,000 crore from the fund, a statement had said.

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The amount would be provided to state governments and UTs for district collectors or municipal commissioners to strengthen efforts to provide accommodation, food, medical treatment and transportation to the migrants, the statement explained.

On May 13, while announcing the first tranche of the planned economic package, Sitharaman had explained the contours of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic package announced by PM Narendra Modi a day earlier to shore up the economy, which has been battered by the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Yesterday's announcements in the package, called Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, involved 15 measures for various sectors.