UP to give Rs 1,000 per month to 35 lakh labourers

Lucknow, March 21 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Saturday that the state government will give Rs 1,000 per month to 35 lakh labourers with immediate effect. This payment will be sent directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries. He also announced immediate payment to MNREGA workers.

Apart from this, Adityanath has also announced to provide one month’s free ration in April to the construction workers and daily labourers registered under Antyodaya Yojana, MNREGA and the Labour Department.

The Chief Minister said, “The decision will have an impact on those earning their livelihood day by day. For this, our government had constituted a committee under the leadership of Finance Minister Suresh Khanna. Based on its report, the state government has approved the allowance for daily wage labourers.

“Within the state, 20.37 lakh labourers are registered with the Labour Department. Rs 1,000 will be sent to their accounts through direct transfer as maintenance. Also, if someone doesn’t have an account, the Labour Department will get it opened and then credit Rs 1,000 to the beneficiary’s account”.

The Chief Minister further said: “The number of hawkers, rickshaw pullers, street vendors and weekly market vendors is around 15 lakh. The government will give Rs 1,000 per month to them also.

“The authorities will prepare a database of such people in the next 15 days and thereafter, they will receive the benefit of this scheme. The government has estimated an expenditure of Rs 150 crore for this work.”

According to the Chief Minister, daily wage labourers who do not have ration cards will get them made on priority basis. Orders have also been issued to immediate distribution of food grains to labourers and vendors in both rural and urban areas.

Directing to pay immediate wages to MNREGA labourers, Adityanath said: “All the registered 1.65 crore MNREGA workers will be provided one month’s ration in April free of cost.”