J-K administration to distribute dry ration to poor

Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday will distribute free dry ration to the poor in the wake of the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Authorities further said that chemist shops will remain open during the entire period of the lockdown while supply of milk and groceries will be carried out during stipulated timings.

"Free dry ration will be distributed among poor in district, starting with municipalities today. All chemist shops to open from today. The supply of milk to be allowed only between 8-11 am and four groceries shall open on March 27 between 10 am-4 pm," said DC, Reasi, while speaking to media here.

This development comes just a day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package for the daily wage earners, women workers and migrant workers.

Addressing the media on Thursday, the Union Finance Minister had said that PM Garib Kalyan relief package will be distributed as cash transfers and food security. "The government does not want anyone to remain hungry," she said.

"We have come with a package that will immediately help those affected directly, those migrants workers, urban and rural poor. We are looking both at cash transfers as well as food security measures," Sitharaman added.

The Centre has enforced a complete nationwide lockdown so that citizens refrain from coming in contact with persons/surfaces infected with COVID-19 which was first reported in Wuhan, China, and soon spread across the globe.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the cases of infections are on a rise every day and as on March 27 at 8:00 am, there have been 633 confirmed cases in the country which includes 44 recoveries and 16 fatalities.