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Delhi government on Tuesday disbursed the ₹ 5000 assistance to the Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of auto and taxi drivers to help them cope with their financial hardships arising due to the second wave of Covid-19 and related lockdown announcements made by the state government.
Delhi has been under lockdown since April 20, and the state government had recently extended it to May 31.
“Driver brothers of Autos and Taxis have started getting ₹ 5,000 financial assistance in their bank accounts, and by evening, as many as 1,51,000 driver brothers would have received their respective amounts”, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted on Tuesday morning.
It may be recalled that the Delhi Cabinet had a few days back approved the ₹5,000-assistance scheme to auto–taxi drivers to help them cope with their financial hardships arising due to the second wave of Covid-19 and the related lockdown.
The financial assistance of ₹5,000 (to each eligible individual) has been handed out to all the individuals holding public service badge (drivers) of para transit vehicles and permit holders of para transit public service vehicles.
Delhi currently has over 2.8 lakh PSV badge holders and 1.9 lakh permit holders eligible to apply for the scheme. The Delhi transport department has already made necessary budgetary provisions for the same.
Even in 2020, when the first wave of Covid-19 struck India, Delhi had given a similar financial assistance amounting to ₹78 crore to more than 1.56 lakh auto/taxi drivers.
Beneficiaries of the 2020 scheme need not reapply but will get ₹5,000 directly transferred to their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.
It may be recalled that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on May 4 this year announced that one-time financial assistance of ₹5,000 will be provided to the PSV badge and permit holders of paratransit vehicles – –namely autorickshaws, E rickshaws, taxis, phatphat Sewa, eco-friendly Sewa, Gramin Sewa and maxi cabs.
New Covid cases
Meanwhile, the national capital on Tuesday saw its new Covid-19 infections inch up to 1,568 from the previous day level of 1,550. However, there was a decline in the number of daily deaths to 156 on Tuesday from 207 on Monday.
The daily test positivity rate on Tuesday came in at 2.14 per cent. The cumulative test positivity rate stood at 7.53 per cent.
The total death toll in the capital since the beginning of the pandemic last year stood at 23,565. The number of active cases stood at 21,739 as of Tuesday. The total number of containment zones as on date stood at 39,640. In the last 24 hours to Tuesday, as many as 54,475 beneficiaries have been inoculated, the latest Delhi State Health Bulletin showed.
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