Scholarship For Orphans, Lifelong Pension For Senior Citizens, Rs 1000 Monthly Relief For Labour Class
Srinagar: As the people of Jammu and Kashmir continued to face wrath of coronavirus pandemic, the Union Territory administration on Tuesday announced special packages for the families of coronavirus victims, including special scholarship for the children who lost their parents to Covid-19, lifelong pension for senior citizens who lost their only earning member of the family to virus besides monthly relief of Rs 1000 every month to the members of the registered labour class.
“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 LG said as per an official spokesperson on Tuesday.
He further said that the LG announced that senior citizens who have lost only earning member of the family will be provided special pension for life while children, who have lost their parents to this calamity, will be provided with special scholarship by the government.
“The Government has decided to provide Rs 1000 per month to all registered construction workers, ponywalas, palkiwalas, pithuwalas for the next two months,” the LG said, as per official spokesperson, adding that the global pandemic has rendered thousands of daily workers jobless.
“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. Installments of social welfare schemes like old-age pension, Laadli Beti etc and PMAY, MGNREGA, and other welfare schemes will be released immediately,” he added.
Announcing these measures while chairing a high-level meeting, the LG, as per the official spokesperson said that in these challenging times, the old-age homes, orphanages will be extended all the support from the government including rations etc.
“Our top-most priority is to defeat this pandemic with people’s participation. I urge all of you to follow Covid appropriate behaviour and get vaccinated. We will soon prevail together over this pandemic,” Sinha said, as per the official spokesperson.
He further said that the LG also observed that an instruction would be passed soon to all DCs to issue death certificates to the people who died due to Covid-19 disease.
“The Lt Governor said that Rs 55 crore would be released under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to all the Deputy Commissioners, both Divisional Commissioners and J&K Police for emergency use during the current Covid-19 crisis. Rs 2 crore will be released to all 20 Deputy Commissioners, Rs 5 crore to both Divisional Commissioners and Rs 5 crore to J&K Police for emergency use under SDRF,” he added.
The official spokesperson said that earlier, the LG received feedback from the senior officers over the Covid-19 management and other measures in J&K. He also enquired about the availability of Covid dedicated beds, high flow oxygen supply, installation of oxygen plants in the Union Territory.
“He was informed that additional oxygen plants are being imported and would be installed soon in the government-run hospitals. The Lt Governor reiterated that the additional oxygen capacity would cater to the requirement of oxygen, besides helping in enhancing the bed capacity with oxygen support,” the official spokesperson said.
He also said that the Sinha directed the concerned officers to enforce strict Corona curfew across Jammu & Kashmir and allow only emergency and essential services during the restrictions to break the chain of transmission.
The meeting was attended in person and through virtual mode by LG’s advisors and senior government functionaries.
Cong Terms Relief Package Inadequate
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) termed as inadequate the relief measures announced by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday and demanded inclusion of other deserving sections in the package.
The party also demanded upgradation of healthcare facilities in hospitals, especially in Government Medical College (GMC) and associated hospitals and peripheral hospitals to check the high mortality rate due to the novel infection.
We welcome certain relief measures announced by the Lt Governor for the families of the Covid victims and other poor sections. However, the same is inadequate and there is a need to include other deserving sections in the relief package, the JKPCC said in a statement here.
It said the party welcomes certain initiatives taken by the government like pension to senior citizens who lost their bread earners to the pandemic but feels the two monthly relief to labourers at Rs 1,000 per month is meager and should be enhanced to Rs 6,000 per month.
The party asked the government to extend financial assistance to roadside vendors, small traders, transport operators including helpers as well other non registered labourers in the package.
All other daily bread earners should be identified and given financial assistance till lockdown is over to manage meals to their families, the party said.
It also stressed for further strengthening of the overall health and medicare facilities with engagement of required manpower and removing the shortcomings in the logistics in all hospitals to save lives in view of high mortality among COVID-infected patients in Jammu hospitals.
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