Adityanath asks officials to provide financial help to those left destitute by lockdown

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday directed officials to provide an interim assistance of Rs2,000 to those left destitute by the coronavirus lockdown and Rs1,000 to those who do not have ration cards to get foodgrains.

He also asked officials to provide Rs5,000 for the last rites of a destitute person.

During a meeting to review the lockdown, he directed officials to ensure immediate treatment to destitute people having serious illness even if they are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana or the Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana, an official spokesman said.

A help of Rs2,000 should be extended as interim assistance besides making proper arrangement for their treatment, the chief minister told the officials.

In the event of death of a destitute person, he directed them to provide Rs5,000 as assistance for performing the last rites, the spokesman said.

Those not having foodgrains should be given Rs1,000 and their ration cards should be made so that they can get foodgrains regularly. It should be ensured that no one goes hungry in the state, Adityanath said.

He also asked for making food and drinking water arrangements for workers and labourers going to other states from UP. All those coming to the state should be properly screened and those found healthy should be sent for home quarantine with ration kits.

Saying that monitoring committees set up in rural and urban areas were helping in checking the spread of the coronavirus infection, the CM stressed on a regular dialogue with their members for collecting feedback of their surveillance work.

Asking the police to ensure regular and continued patrolling to ensure a strict lockdown, he said people should not be allowed to gather and supply chains should be maintained properly.

He also said insecticides should be regularly sprayed to end the locust attack.

Directing for taking up digging of ponds before the start of monsoon, he said this could be done through MNREGS and added that the mud retrieved from ponds could be provided to potters free of cost by coordinating with Mati Kala Board.

He said digging of pits for planting saplings under the plantation drive should be started with the help of labourers under the MNREGS. (AGENCIES)