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The Centre has until May 5 credited ₹2,785 crore to 5.57 crore women Jan Dhan account holders towards the second (May) instalment of Direct Benefit Transfer as part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP).
It may be recalled that the Centre had last month credited ₹10,025 crore to 20.05 crore (98.33 per cent) women Jan Dhan account holders as first instalment (April).
In all, the government intends to transfer ₹1,500 to each PMJDY woman beneficiary over three instalments of ₹ 500 each under the PMGKP.
As part of PMGKP, the government announced free food grains and cash payment to women and poor senior citizen and farmers.
The swift implementation of the package is continuously monitored by Central and State Governments. Finance Ministry, the concerned Ministries, Cabinet Secretariat and PMO, are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the relief measures reach the needy swiftly and in line with the intent of the lockdown, an official release said.
In the wake of Covid-19 induced lockdown and social distancing norms, the Finance Ministry has stipulated a staggered disbursal mechanism for such amounts transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer to the accounts of the women Jan Dhan account holders.
For bank accounts ending with 0 and 1, the date of disbursal was May 4. It was May 5 for those with bank accounts ending on 2 and 3; May 6 for those with bank accounts ending with 4 and 5. Those with bank accounts ending with 6 and 7 can get their monies on May 8, and the date of disbursal will be May 11 for those with bank accounts ending with 8 and 9. After May 11, beneficiaries may withdraw any day at their convenience. This was aimed at ensuring social distancing and avoiding overcrowding in banks.
As on May 5, using the digital payment infrastructure, around 39 crore poor people received financial assistance of ₹ 34,800 crore under the PMGKP, which was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26 to protect them from the impact of the lockdown due to Covid-19, the release added.
Under PMGKP, the financial assistance included ₹16,394 crore front-loaded towards payment of the first instalment of PM Kisan to 8.19 crore beneficiaries. Also, as much as ₹1,405 crore has been disbursed to 2.82 crore old age persons, widows and disabled persons--in all 2.812 crore beneficiaries.
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