Coronavirus: UP govt credits Rs 611 cr into 2.7 mn MNREGA workers' accounts

He also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus as also the announcement of economic package

In a big relief to the MNREGA workers in Uttar Pradesh during the nation-wide lockdown, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that Rs 611 crore has been deposited directly into the bank accounts of around 27.15 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme in the state.

Interacting with four labourers, each from Bahraich, Varanasi, Sonbhadra and Deoria through video conferencing from his official residence, Adityananth also informed them that the state government has made a provision of providing food grains for free to the workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

According to an official spokesperson, the chief minister said at a time the whole world is terrified of the epidemic, the Rural Development Department and the State Bank of India worked together to deposit Rs 611 crore into the accounts of more than 27.15 lakh MNREGA workers of the state.

All the women beneficiaries of 'Jan Dhan Yojana' will get an additional Rs 500 per month in their bank accounts. Apart from this, the Government of India will provide Rs 1,000 per month to the old, destitute women and disabled pension holders for three months, he said.
 

Migrant workers board crowded buses to their respective villages, amid a nationwide lockdown, in Ghaziabad on Sunday. Photo: PTI

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adityanath said in order to save the country from the virus and in the interest of its future, a nationwide-lockdown has been declared and along with that an economic package of Rs 1.70 lakh crore announced.

The chief minister said that looking at the situation arising out of migrating labourers due to the lockdown, the Centre is also making efforts to provide 1 kg of pulses and free gas cylinders for three months to the labourers.

He claimed that in the last three years, with the BJP in power in Uttar Pradesh, the state has achieved in increasing the man-days under the MNREGA scheme.

In 2016-17, a total of 15.69 crore man-days were created, 24.32 crore lakh man-days were made available for employment generation in 2019-20, the chief minister said.

All bank officials are working with full dedication and on a war footing to win this battle against the coronavirus epidemic, Adityanath said and thanked the chief managed of the State Bank of India for keeping the bank branches open for public till 4 pm.

The government will provide aid to all the needy, farmers and the poor in a time-bound manner through Central and state government's welfare schemes, he added.