COVID-19 Lockdown: Over 4.8 lakh daily wagers get Rs 1,000 financial assistance from UP govt

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday transferred Rs 1,000 each to the bank accounts of 4,81,755 daily wagers, including street vendors and rickshaw pullers, as “maintenance allowance” for the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The beneficiaries of this relief measure have been identified by the state urban development department, according to an official release.

The 21-day nationwide lockdown was imposed from March 25 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Over Rs 48 crore was transferred directly to the bank accounts by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from his official 5 Kalidas Marg residence here, it said.

Street vendors, auto drivers, rickshaw pullers, e-rickshaw drivers and porters working at agricultural wholesale markets ‘mandis’ are among the beneficiaries, the release said.

The chief minister also interacted with beneficiaries from different districts through video conferencing.

Adityanath, according to the release, said due to the coronavirus there is a lockdown in the state, due to which the government is providing food and maintenance allowance to the poor people.

In this procedure, the government is sending a “maintenance allowance” of Rs 1,000 in the bank accounts of small vendors, rickshaw pullers, e-rickshaw drivers and porters, he said.

In this time of crisis, the central and the state governments are standing firm for the poor, the chief minister said.

He added that those who did not have ration cards are also being covered by these schemes.