West Bengal to give Rs 1,000 grant to unorganised sector workers, seeks Centre’s assistance

“Those working in the unorganised sector can apply for the scheme between April 15 and 30,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

CM Mamata Banerjee visited three hospitals Tuesday. (Express photo)

With the entire country being brought under lockdown for three weeks, beginning Tuesday midnight, the West Bengal government announced to give a one-time grant of Rs 1,000 to people working in the unorganised sector that will be the worst hit by the lockdown.

Announcing the scheme, Prochesta, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “We do not have a lot of money because we have not received any assistance from the Centre. Despite that, we have launched a new scheme for those in the unorganised sector who earn on a daily basis. If they can’t make their ends meet, the government will give them a grant of Rs 1,000.”

“Those working in the unorganised sector can apply for the scheme between April 15 and 30,” she added.

The state government had earlier announced to give free ration to at least 8.5 crore people in the state till September.

The Chief Minister also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, seeking immediate fiscal measures for the state to survive “these testing times”. This came a day after the state reported its first novel coronavirus infection.

“I write to you urgently in the backdrop of this unprecedented global pandemic, which is already crippling in the economy from the bottom to the top, in the midst of a slowing economy that was suffering from a growth recession,” Banerjee wrote.

The Chief Minister said the capacity of states to mobilise resources would be severely crippled because of the “acutely necessary ‘lockdown’ and closure of businesses in many states”, including West Bengal. “There is no doubt that GST collection will plummet, where GST consists of 70 per cent of state tax collection,” she added.

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Mamata also urged the Centre to allow the state government to borrow more by raising the FRBM limits (limits set under Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003) to at least 5 per cent of its GDP during the 2020-’21 financial year.

“Needless to say that the states will then amend their FRBM commitments in their own legislature as they find appropriate,” she added.

On Monday, Banerjee had written to Modi, requesting him to issue necessary instructions to stop all flights from landing in the state. Allowing operation of flights was a breach of the shutdown and quarantine protocols, she added.

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