Govt May Consider Direct Cash Transfer To Unemployed Workers To Compensate Them For Loss Of Livelihood: NITI Aayog VC

NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar on Monday (30 March) hinted that the government could consider suggestions for direct transfer of cash to the bank accounts of unemployed workers, including migrant workers to compensate them for the losses sustained because of the 21-day-long lockdown imposed in a bid to contain the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports Economic Times.

In an interview, Kumar said that at some stage, the government may consider giving out cash through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism to compensate migrant workers for the loss of employment.

Acknowledging the difficulty in transfer of cash to workers as they are in an unorganised segment, Kumar asserted that the problem could be overcome through industry organisations and employer organisations which could help in identifying them and compensating them to some extent.

The development comes around a week after the government had announced a financial relief package worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore targeted at helping the poor tide through the tough times. The package included free foodgrains, cooking gas and cash doles for women and senior citizens.