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Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the union government’s stimulus package announced this week, particularly those related to migrant workers, the poor and farmers on Thursday, refocusing his consistent position to empower the marginalized financially and socially rather than follow the book of political plays accepted.
The government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under Modi, reached out Thursday to immigrants, fringe farmers, workers, street vendors and small businesses that had helped the ruling party transform its social and electoral base. The move is significant in that this section of people had helped the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) expand its base of support in its first term. During the 2019 general election, the BJP-NDA combine had targeted especially 22 million beneficiaries of government schemes before the elections.
Taking steps to help migrant workers rise to the challenge of job loss, the union government has announced that it will continue to give them free food grains, even to those without cards, for the next two months. The government has also announced that it will implement the One Nation One Ration Card scheme through which beneficiaries will be able to accept rations anywhere in the country, alleviating the situation of migrants.
“Free food grain supply to all migrants for the next 2 months. For those without cards, they will be given 5 kg of wheat or rice per person and 1 kg of chana per family per month for 2 months. 8 million de crore will benefit and it is estimated to cost up to Rs.3,500 crores to spend on this. A One Nation One ration card will be implemented in the next three months and is expected to benefit 67 million people in 23 states covering the 83% of the public distribution system (PDS) population will be covered by national portability by August 2020, “Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Thursday at a press conference.
Most of the announcements made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, with the exception of two-month free access to PDS for migrants, are based on a narrative of access to more affordable services such as housing, job well-being, street vendor credit, interest subsidy on loan schemes plus funds for schemes such as the Compensatory Forestry Planning and Management Authority (CAMPA) for job creation, as well as additional emergency working capital funds through the Bank National Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for marginal small farmers, among others.
“I think there is a clear pattern here of a change in the right to empowerment. The migrant part is more significant. It’s worth thinking about why the government took two months to make these announcements. This may be the first time by far that migrants have found mention in a stimulus package like this. It is good that this has happened, but the story is not over yet, “said N. Bhaskara Rao, a New Delhi-based political analyst.
Sitharaman reported that 14.62 million rupees-days of work were generated under Mahatma Gandhi’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) until May 13, representing at least 40-50% more people registered compared to last May. He added that as more migrant workers returned to their villages, they were actively enrolled.
“For the millions of migrants you claim to be the builders of this nation, all you have for them is 3.5 billion rupees in terms of atta and chana. This is your empathy for the poor in this country. That is why we say you are a ‘Sarkaar Starter Suit,’ “Manish Tewari, senior congressional legislator and former union minister, said at a press conference Thursday night.
“Except for him ₹Rs 1500 million interest grant for Shishu Mudra loans and this ₹3.5 billion rupees, there is nothing else. The government does not even have the number of how many people were housed in relief camps, “he added.
Taking another step to help marginalized farmers, the union government also announced concessional credit loans of Rs.2 lakh crore that are estimated to help at least 2.5 million crore through Kisan credit cards. The government explained that there are already 9 million crore beneficiaries in the PM-Kisan scheme and that the 2.5 million selected producers are already part of the PM-Kisan scheme, but do not have access to Kisan’s credit cards.
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