From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, May 6: With almost all sections of people forced undergo difficulties and sufferings due to the Corona Virus or COVID 19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown during the last one and half months, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has announced Rs 1,610 crore economic package to help different sections of the people.

Floriculturist farmers, growers of fruits and vegetables, barbers and washermen, auto rickshaw and taxi drivers, construction workers, industries in the MSME sector and all sections of electricity consumers are entitled for some cash compensation or other types of reliefs including waiver of fixed electricity charges for two months for the MSME sector.

With nearly 16 lac registered building workers in the State, the State Government will be transferring an additional Rs 3,000 into the accounts of the workers over and above the Rs 2,000 already announced by the Centre as part of the measure to kick-start the construction activity in Karnataka.

Announcing the decisions taken by the State Cabinet on Wednesday, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said the government has already transferred Rs 2,000 each to 11.80 lac building workers out of the 15.80 lac registered workers0in the State under the Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT) process. Action has already been initiated to transfer the amount of Rs accounts of the remaining 4 lakh construction workers soon after verifying bank account details.

In addition, the State Government has decided to transfer additional amount of Rs. 3,000 to building workers through DBT, he said.

Another major announcement was announcement of a cash compensation of Rs 25,000 per hectare to the floriculture farmers, who have been cultivating flowers in about 11,687 hectares.

“The compensation of Rs.25,000 per hectare will be limited to the maximum extent of one hectare for the flower growers who have suffered crop loss due to lockdown,’’ the Chief Minister said.

Yediyurappa said the farmers who have grown vegetables and fruits due to lock down were not able to market their produce.

The State Government has decided to announce a relief package for these farmers too, he said.

The State Government will be service professionals like barbers and washermen (dhobis) in urban as well as rural areas, who suffered due to closure of their activities on account of the lockdown.

The barbers will be provided with a one-time cash compensation of Rs 5000 each to about 2.30 lac barbers in the State and about 6,000 washermen (dhobis), the Chief Minister said.

Auto rickshaw and taxi drivers who lost income due to the lockdown will also be provided with a one-time cash compensation of Rs 5,000 each to both the auto rickshaw and taxi-drivers.

Lockdown has brought miseries for the weavers who are already suffering due to slow down of their industry. The Government has already announced Rs 109 crore `Weavers Loan Waiver’ scheme. Of this amount, Rs 29 crore has been released during 2019-20. Balance amount of Rs 80 crore will be released immediately.

“This will help weavers to get fresh loans to continue their occupation. The reimbursement benefit will be provided for the weavers who have repaid their loan amount between 01-01-2019 to 31-03-2019,’’ the Chief Minister said.

“I am very much pleased to announce a new scheme. “Weaver Samman Yojana” (Nekarara Sammana yojane) for the benefit of the suffering weavers. Under this scheme Government will deposit Rs 2,000 directly to the bank account of the handloom weaver through DBT. This will benefit about 54,000 handloom weavers in the State,’’ Yediyurappa has announced.

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the industrial sector, which suffered huge loss on account of production losses, will also be provided some relief in the waiver of fixed charges of electricity bills for two months.

Payment of fixed charges in the Electricity bills of the large industries will be deferred without penalty and interest for a period of two months, the Chief Minister said.

All categories of electricity consumers in the State are also offered some minor reliefs.

The benefits announced for all electricity consumers are:

• Incentive and concessions will be given to the consumer who pays the bills in stipulated time.
• There will be reduction in the interest on the amount for the delayed payment.
• Incentive will be provided to the consumers who pays the bills in advance.
• Opportunity will be provided for the payment of balance bill amount in instalments.
• Electricity connection will not be disconnected till 30-06-2020 for the consumers, who have not paid the balance amount of electricity bill.

Later, Rajya Sabha member and Karnataka Liberal Education society chairman Prabhakar Kore, presented cheque of Rs 2 crore for chief minister's relief fund.