The Delhi government on Tuesday announced that they will provide free ration to all ration card holders for the next two months and Rs 5,000 each to all autorickshaw drivers and taxi drivers in the national capital.
“We have decided that all ration card holders in Delhi, around 72 lakh in number, will be given free ration for the next two months,” said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He further said that it does not mean that the lockdown will continue for two months. It is just being done to help the poor going through financial issues, he mentioned.
The Chief Minister also announced said that all autorickshaw and taxi drivers in Delhi will be given Rs 5,000 each by the Delhi government so that they get a little help during this financial crisis too.
“The imposition of the lockdown was necessary to curb the spread of the virus and to break the Covid-19 chain. But a lockdown can create great financial difficulties for the underprivileged sections, especially the daily wage labourers,” said Kejriwal.
He further said that the Delhi government last year helped around 1,56,000 autorickshaw drivers and taxi drivers.
The Delhi government had last week said it has disbursed ex gratia payments of Rs 5,000 each to construction workers registered under the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.
The Delhi CM also urged people and political parties to help each other without any politics. “If we all fight together, I hope that soon we will win the fight against coronavirus,” he added.
The national capital on Monday reported as many as 18,043 new coronavirus cases and 448 deaths in the last 24 hours, Delhi’s daily health bulletin informed. This is the highest single-day death toll in the city since the pandemic broke out last year.
(With ANI inputs)