Financial package will go a long way in ensuring food, livelihood security of poor: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the financial package announced by his government to deal with the impact of the coronavirus lockdown will go a long way in ensuring food and livelihood security of the poor.

"It is our firm resolve that the poor and vulnerable get all possible help to cope with the testing times," Modi tweeted.

He said the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package will go a long way in ensuring their food and livelihood security.

The government on Thursday announced the Rs 1.7-lakh crore stimulus that included free foodgrain and cooking gas to the poor for three months, and cash doles to women and senior citizens as it looked to ease the economic impact of the 21-day nationwide lockdown.

The lockdown imposed to check the spread of coronavirus came into force on Wednesday.

As part of the package, an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per health worker fighting COVID-19 will be provided.

Eighty crore poor people will get 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses for free every month for the next three months.

Twenty crore women Jan Dhan account holders will get Rs 500 per month for next three months.