States given time until August to distribute free ration to returning migrant labourers: Ram Vilas Paswan

Against the target of 8 crore migrant labourers, Paswan said free ration has reached to only 2.32 crore migrant workers in May, while 2.14 crore in June, he said.

PTI

July 09, 2020 / 20:09 IST

State governments have been given time till August to distribute free ration allocated for returning migrant workers under the Atmanirbhar package, Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Thursday. More time has been given to states for distribution as only 29 per cent of the 8 lakh tonne of foodgrains and 39,000 tonne of chana allocated for returning migrant workers under this special package have actually reached migrants during May and June.

This special allocation was made by the Centre in May for just two months amid criticism over migrants workers' exodus from urban centres.

"So far, only 2,32,433 tonne of foodgrains and 10,645 tonne of chana has been distributed by states. The remaining stock is still with the states. ...We have extended till August," Paswan told reporters.

Against the target of 8 crore migrant labourers, Paswan said free ration has reached to only 2.32 crore migrant workers in May, while 2.14 crore in June, he said.

Maximum returning migrants have been covered in Bihar at 86 lakh followed by Rajasthan over 32 lakh. West Bengal has distributed to 20.80 lakh people, he added.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

Show

States given time until August to distribute free ration to returning migrant labourers: Ram Vilas Paswan

Against the target of 8 crore migrant labourers, Paswan said free ration has reached to only 2.32 crore migrant workers in May, while 2.14 crore in June, he said.

Related stories

Subscribe to Tech Newsletters

States given time until August to distribute free ration to returning migrant labourers: Ram Vilas Paswan

Against the target of 8 crore migrant labourers, Paswan said free ration has reached to only 2.32 crore migrant workers in May, while 2.14 crore in June, he said.

Related stories

Subscribe to Tech Newsletters

Trending news