K’taka Lockdown Relief: Rs 1.6k-cr for Dhobis, Barbers, Cabbies

COVID-19 has not only affected farmers, but also the service professionals, the government said.

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa.

(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint)

The Karnataka government on Wednesday, 6 May, came out with a Rs 1,610 crore compensation plan to help those who are in distress due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The package will benefit farmers, small and medium enterprises, handloom weavers, flower growers, washermen, barbers, auto and taxi drivers among others.

Flower growers will get a compensation of Rs 25,000 per hectare "limited to the maximum extent of one hectare for the flower growers who have suffered crop loss."

For Farmers, Barbers, Taxi Drivers

"COVID-19 has not only affected farmers, but also the service professionals such as barbers and washermen (dhobis) both in urban and rural areas. The government has decided to provide a one-time compensation of Rs 5,000 each to benefit about 60,000 washermen and about 2,30,000 barbers," the state government announced.

Around 7,75,000 autorickshaw and taxi drivers will be provided around Rs 5,000 each.

Acknowledging that MSMEs have also greatly suffered during the lockdown the government said, "The monthly fixed charges of electricity bills of MSMEs will be waived 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."

Talking about electricity consumers in general, the state government announced some of the following benefits:

• 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.

Handloom workers, too, will get Rs 2,000 in their bank accounts under the new "Waiver Samman Yojana." The government has already announced Rs 109 crore "Weavers Loan Waiver" scheme, of which Rs 29 crore has been released in 2019-20. The balance amount of Rs 80 crore will be released immediately, the government added.

Last but not the least, to help the building workers in the state, the government has decided to transfer additional amount of Rs 3,000 to the workers through DBT.