Coronavirus: Bengal CM announces Kolkata lockdown, free ration for 6 months

The state, which announced a complete lockdown of Kolkata and other major towns on Sunday, has adopted several measures to combat the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government will offer free food grains and ration under the Public Distribution System for the next six months. 

The move will benefit 75 million people in the state. Moreover, an extra 2 kilograms of rice will go to the houses of children under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the Mid-Day Meal scheme.

For the 1 million workers directly involved in preventing the spread of coronavirus, the state is providing insurance coverage of more than Rs 5 lakh. A Rs200-crore special fund has been set up to fight the pandemic.