Select a state to view some of the responses that have been deployed by the state.
KERALA
Overview
We urgently need an economic stimulus to protect livelihoods in the period of lockdown. In Kerala, we are making the utmost efforts to ensure that the supply of essential commodities, particularly food and medicines, is maintained and that the vulnerable sections of society are specifically protected. As soon as the Kerala government closed pre-schools and schools on March 10, our Women and Child Development Department made available, without missing a day’s allotment, the mandated quantities of rice, pulses, broken wheat/semolina, peanuts, jaggery, oil to all pre-school children in each anganwadi centre. It also took steps to distribute ‘Take Home Ration’ for pregnant/lactating mothers and children aged six months to three years. We undertook this intervention for 33,115 centres, and we were able to protect the nutritional needs of close to 8.3 lakh children. In some anganwadis, vegetables and eggs were also distributed. We are happy to note that the Supreme Court of India expressed appreciation for our efforts in this regard.
The Kerala approach
Kerala will ensure availability of essential goods and services, and our government will not permit a single person to starve during the lockdown. We have energised our Public Distribution System (PDS) to ensure that all households that do not figure in the priority list get 15 kg of free food supplies for a month. This is in addition to the allocation of 35 kg per household for those in the priority category. We also plan to distribute food kits, with basic grocery items and vegetables. To the deserving people now in quarantine, the government is already distributing such kits. Home delivery is being arranged to avoid crowding of people in PDS outlets and grocery shops. We plan to engage our local bodies to lead this effort at the ground level. Further, nutritious meal plates at ₹20 per plate are being served through 1,000 canteens of the State government. Our economic package of ₹20,000 crore will be spent roughly as follows. Two months of welfare pensions will be paid in advance to the pension beneficiaries.
For those not eligible for welfare pensions, ₹1,320 crore has been set aside for providing an assistance of ₹1,000 per family from the BPL and Antyodaya sections. Another ₹100 crore has been set aside for providing free food grains to families in need, while ₹50 crore has been set aside for the provision of subsidised meals at ₹20 per meal. Around ₹500 crore has been set aside for a comprehensive health package, where focus will be on improving public health infrastructure and equipping the State to face such epidemics. Loans worth ₹2,000 crore will be distributed through the Kudumbashree Mission. ₹2,000 crore has been set aside for the expansion of the employment guarantee programme.Further, around ₹14,000 crore has been set aside to clear all the arrears of the State government till April 2020. Passenger vehicles have also been given tax relief. Autos and taxis have been given relaxation on payment of fitness charges. There is relaxation in the deadlines of water and electricity bill payment for affected firms. Entertainment taxes for cinema halls have been reduced. Let this be the period in which we end fiscal conservatism. Extraordinary times require extraordinary action. The strict rules of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act should be set aside. We urgently need an economic stimulus to protect the people and livelihoods in the period of lockdown.
Today the world must stand together in the battle for the safety and well being of humanity. We must draw strength and lessons from global and national experiences even as we redouble our efforts in building a people-centric response to the challenge of the COVID- 19 pandemic.
RAJASTHAN
Rajasthan, one of the first states to record cases of COVID 19, has taken precautionary measures for the safety and well being of the migrant and daily wage workers of the state. The Rajasthan government has allotted around Rs 1,250 crore for Covid-19 related expenditure, according to data collected from various departments. This includes expenses on social security pensions, one-time relief of Rs 2,500 to 14 million families, free wheat to families under National Food Security Act (NFSA), masks, gloves and PPE kits, laboratories, ventilators, quarantine centre, shelters for migrant workers, screening and survey, and rapid testing kits. The biggest chunk of this is being spent on social security. Rs 800 crore was spent on giving one-time relief of Rs 2,500 to about 14 million poor families, who are not covered under social security pension scheme. These included Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, registered construction workers, street vendors and other workers, rickshaw pullers and the destitute people.
After a massive slump in the number of labourers engaged at sites of the rural employment guarantee works during the first lockdown, steps were initiated to generate labour intensive opportunities in order to give regular wages to the poor villagers. More than 6 lakh labourers were engaged under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The district collectors received Rs 49.36 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for quarantine facilities, screening, shelter for migrant labourers, dry ration and food packets. The collectors also received money from this fund for providing personal protective equipment to health workers, police personnel and sanitation workers. The money was transferred to the bank accounts of people by Department of Information and Technology (DoIT). For people who don’t have bank accounts, money was given through the district collectors.
The state government decided to provide free ration through the Public Distribution System (PDS) to all beneficiaries under the NFSA at an expenditure of 100 crores. Rajasthan government also announced that it will provide assistance of Rs 50 lakh to the family of any employee who dies due to coronavirus while on duty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance scheme also includes state government contractual employees deployed on coronavirus related duty.
Bhilwara’s success on the forefront of this pandemic has won applause around the country and nearly 55 hospitals enlisted by the government are from the private sector which has enhanced the capacity of the state more than 10,000 isolation beds, 824 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and nearly 400 ventilators. Cities such as Ajmer, Jaisalmer, Sikar and Pali, which otherwise had limited medical facilities available through single government hospitals, have now seen enhanced capability with private hospitals on board. Furthermore, coming to the rescue of folk artists amid the nationwide lockdown, the Rajasthan government has launched a scheme under which such artists can shoot videos of their performances and get a chance to win cash prizes under the 'Chief Minister Folk Art Encouragement Scheme’. Also, employees working on a contract basis would also be covered under this financial assistance scheme. However, those healthcare workers for whom central government had announced Rs 50 lakh insurance cover will not come under this scheme. The assistance will cover a multitude of workers from patwaris, gram sevaks, constables, contract employees including safai karmacharis, health workers and those employed on honorarium like home Guard, civil defence, Asha and Anganwadi workers.
BIHAR
The lockdown announcement came hard on the migrant workers of Bihar who are one of the most spread out population of workers all over India. It was a massive challenge for the Bihar Disaster Management Department -- the nodal government wing tasked by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar -- to take care of the relief efforts. It was somewhat easier to provide relief to those who somehow managed to reach Bihar, but addressing all these cries of Bihar residents stranded in all corners of the country, that too at a time when every state was struggling with Covid-19, was a big task in hand. The state government started transferring Rs 1000 per family in to the accounts of ration card holders across Bihar as part of the financial assistance being provided to the poor families. It also decided to support families without ration cards. Such families would be identified as village-level self help groups (SHGs) of Jeevika to provide necessary assistance. Similarly, migrant workers were also provided Rs 1000 per person.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has set up a CM relief fund which has gathered donations for the daily wage workers who are suffering in the forefront of the covid-19 pandemic. A link (www.aapda.bih.nic) has been provided for the stranded migrant workers of the state to register. The Bihar resident commissioner has also helped in providing accommodation and food to the migrant workers in other states. Applications for special assistance have poured in from at least eight states, including Haryana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Delhi. As part of the special assistance programme, launched by the government on April 6, about Rs 8 lakh has been debited directly in the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
The Bihar government has launched door-to-door testing of the novel coronavirus to identify the number of cases in the state. The first phase of the door-to-door testing has begun in four hotspot districts - Siwan, Begusarai, Nalanda and Nawada. According to the Bihar Government, 10,000 teams have been pressed into action to carry out the door-to-door testing. Bihar state government has also launched the Bihar Corona Sahayata app to combat COVID-19. The Bihar government will provide Corona Sahayata of Rs 1000 to each worker who enters Bihar from other states or is stranded outside Bihar under the Bihar Aapda Prabandhan. For getting the amount, people need to visit the official Bihar Aapda Prabandhan website or www.aapda.bih.nic.in.
Bihar government has deeply intensified outreach programmes to its migrant workers stranded in other states. More than 10,000 migrant workers from various parts of Bihar have availed packages of groceries through the Bihar Foundation, a registered society under the Bihar government’s Department of Industry. With funds from Bihar’s government, the foundation has distributed relief material at various locations in Mumbai and Thane. The foundation has also taken over a college building in Bhiwandi, where they have set up a shelter for up to 500 workers from the state who need a place to stay until they can go back home. Similarly, there are certain welfare schemes for unorganised sector workers like Bihar Shatabdi Asangathit Kamgar/Shilpkar Samajik Suraksha Yojna Inter State Migrant Workers Accident Scheme, Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Scheme, Child Labour Rehabilitation Scheme etc.
GUJARAT
The Gujarat government has put its best foot forward to help the factory workers, fishermen, migrant workers, government employees and other daily wage workers in this economic emergency. More than 80 relief camps have been setup all around Gujarat to give shelter and food packages to the poor families of migrant labourers and other daily wage workers. Many NGOs, charitable trusts, communities and corporate initiatives have been available to help the government and the people in need of food and sanitation facilities. A 65 crore package for 65 lakh families of the poor, labourers, unorganized workers, and construction workers has been announced by the chief minister Vijay Rupani. It has also been announced that only Rs.1.50 electricity duty will be charged on consumption of 50 units of electricity. Electricity charges have been waived off for the month of April. The Gujarat government and has made efforts to direct small and large businesses to pay their employees’ salaries and wages regularly. Allowances have been allowed for pensioners, widows and divyangs in Gujarat.
The government has given relaxation to the fishermen and allowed them to fish during the lockdown. Tokens have been issued and associated units like packaged sea food, cold storages, maintenance and transportation has been permitted to operate. The government has also has announced to start Free Ration Scheme 2020 to tackle COVID 19. In this scheme, the state govt. will provide food items like wheat, rice, pulses, sugar absolutely free of cost. Around 60 lakh APL ration card holder families (3.25 crore people) to benefit from this scheme. The CM has also taken a welfare oriented decision for 4.43 lakh BPL women and girls. Government of India has announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs.500 per month for April and May. 97,474 women and girls will avail this assistance from Government of India. The remaining 3 lakh 47 thousand 417 women and girls will receive the same grant from the state government. The state government will bear an additional burden of Rs. 34.64 crores for the same.
The state government also announced Rs 30-35 crore financial aid for 'Gaushalas' and 'cattle ponds'. Under this Rs 25 per animal for the month of April will be provided to all 'Gaushalas' and 'cattle ponds'. The Gujarat government also launched the Anna Brahma Yojana 2020-21 for migrant labourers from other states stranded during COVID-19 lockdown in the state. Now in the new Anna Brahma Scheme of Gujarat, all non ration card holder migrant workers will get food grains and other food items absolutely free. The new Anna Brahma Yojana will include workers from other states such as Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu etc. In short, all those people currently present in Gujarat who do not have ration cards in their name can now get free ration to sustain their livelihood. Gujarat Chief Minister Relief Fund is gathered by voluntary donations from any person, NRIs, various service organizations, industrialists, artists or writers etc., to provide immediate relief to people in distress. All the contributions towards CMRF are exempted from Income Tax under section 80(G). To donate https://iora.gujarat.gov.in/cmrf/Index.aspx
UTTAR PRADESH
Uttar Pradesh being the largest state in India has been continuously on the move ever since the pandemic struck India. Having the highest population in the country, the state faces a few challenges in tackling the number of people living in vulnerable conditions to prevent the spread of COVID19. The state is in continuous need of emergency assistance and has been working hard to provide people a safe haven. On 17 March The Uttar Pradesh government extended the closure of all educational institutions, cinemas, shopping malls, swimming pool, gyms, multiplexes and tourists places in the state till April 2. Owners of all such institutions were directed to not withdraw the payment of salaries of the support staff of such institutions and give them paid leaves. District magistrates were instructed to spread awareness through posters and banners on the viral disease. Additionally, an appeal was made to religious leaders to avoid crowding in temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches. Slaughterhouses in state were ordered to be closed from 22 to 24 March.
On 22 March, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the lockdown of fifteen districts in the state, from 22 to 25 March, including Noida, Ghaziabad, Agra, Aligarh, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Varanasi, Bareilly, Lucknow, Saharanpur, Meerut, Lakhimpur, Azamgarh, Firozabad, Gorakhpur and others.
The Uttar Pradesh government announced to give ₹1,000 (US$14) to all daily wage labourers affected due to coronavirus in the state. On 30 March 2020, the migrant workers returning to Bareilly from Delhi were sprayed with disinfectant as a measure to curb the effects of coronavirus. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a slew of relief measures for the state's daily wage earners including construction workers and self-employed cart owners, rickshaw pullers as well pension earners to tide over the period of shutdown and uncertainty amid the corona virus scare.
A sum of Rs 1,000 would be provided to each of the 20.37 lakh construction workers registered with the labour department and to each of the 15 lakh self-employed cart owners, small shop owners and rickshaw pullers on an immediate basis. The amount, funded by the labour cess, will be transferred to their accounts through the system of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Additionally, families of 1.65 crore Antyodaya workers, bearing MNREGA cards as well as construction workers and small wage earners will be given one month stock of food grains for free by the state government. The food grain stock to be provided by about 80,000 Public Distribution System (PDS) stores will include 20 kg wheat and 15 kg rice.
Besides, more than 83 lakh old age, disabled, as well as widow pension earners under different schemes will be paid their pension amounts for both April and May in April itself.
"Apart from all these directives, if there is anyone in either rural or urban areas who does not fall under the state schemes and whose livelihood has been affected, then in rural areas a committee of gram panchayats and BDO along with the SDM and in urban areas, a committee of administrative officers, local city magistrates along with the SDMs will inform the DM and such people will also be disbursed the Rs 1000 amount out of the relief fund, as per the chief minister.
The government promised all pending dues of MGNREGA workers would be cleared by end of March and called for immediate measures to get ration cards made for all these daily wage earners and small shop/cart owners that did not possess one.
KARNATAKA
As of 19 April 2020, there have been 390 confirmed cases with 111 recoveries and 16 deaths in the state.
On the 9th of March 2020, the Karnataka state government issued a circular ordering the closure of kindergartens and primary classes in all schools in the state.
Chief Minister of Karnataka, B.S. Yediyurappa said that malls, universities and colleges, movie theatres, night clubs, marriages and conferences and other public areas with high footfall will be closed or cancelled for a week, as a precautionary measure amid the growing scare of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The Department of Primary and Secondary Education of Karnataka postponed the examinations for class 7 to 9 as a precautionary measure to avoid spread of coronavirus. Karnataka has closed its borders with Kerala for vehicular traffic in the wake of six people testing positive for coronavirus in bordering Kasaragod of Kerala.
The Karnataka government has established a Toll-free Helpline number - 155214 for providing food to migrant labours in the state.[41]
Government of Karnataka on 11th April issued a circular advising all citizens and health care officials to download, promote and use Arogya Setu application on their mobile phones to enhance contact tracing of infected persons. The mobile application is designed to give alerts if an infected person comes within the proximity of the person who has installed the application on their phones using Bluetooth and GPS technology. Further, with states in favor of continuing the term of lockdown for another two weeks. During the fourth address to the nation concerning Coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the lockdown till 3rd of May starting April 14th. All places of social gatherings including religious conventions shall be barred.
Steps are being taken to provide relief and essentials to the unorganised labourers in the state. Milk will be supplied to the poor free of cost until April 14. Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa himself handed milk packets to slum dwellers in Ashwath Nagar in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Beneficiaries under the PM Kisan Scheme will be entitled to get a sum of Rs 2,000. It will be deposited in their accounts latest by April 10, 2018, said S. Suresh Kumar, minister of primary and secondary education, while briefing the media on Saturday.
The state has responded generously to pleas to contribute to the Chief Minister's COVID-19 Relief Fund. A total sum of Rs 106.05 crore has been received as donations. On Saturday, KPTCL employees contributed a sum of Rs 18 crore, forgoing their salary for two days.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and Adichunchanagiri Math at Nagamangala have donated Rs 50 lakh each. The Chief Minister himself has donated his entire one year's salary to the fund.
The labour department has issued a circular directing the private sector employers to abstain from layoffs or unpaid leaves during this countrywide lockdown. Employees would be paid wages on the due date without any deduction during this period.
MADHYA PRADESH
Madhya Pradesh has been counting increasing number of Covid 19 cases although the government has been on the move for keeping things under control, making sure the citizens are receiving up to date information and are aware of the latest news. Since there is a large unorganised labour sector for MP, the government is trying to provide them with an economic stimulus. Families will be provided help along with food distribution.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an aid of Rs 1,000 for labourers in the unorganised sector. He also announced that beneficiaries of social security pension scheme, widow pension, old-age pension and destitute pension schemes will get two months' pension in advance.
Labourers in the unorganized sector will be given financial assistance of Rs 1,000 each through the Sannirman Karmkar Mandal.
Further, an advance of Rs 2,000 per family would be provided to members of the Shariya, Baiga and Bhariya tribal communities. As schools are closed, some 65.91 lakh students do not get mid-day meals at school. Therefore, Rs 155 would be transferred into the bank account of each primary school student and Rs 232 in the account of each middle-school student, adding up to aid of total of Rs 156.15 crore. Public distribution system (PDS) shops should distribute the food grain ration for April. Uninterrupted supply of fertilizers and seeds will be ensured to farmers.
The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to promote students of all classes, except standards 10th and 12th, of the state schools without exams in view of the coronavirus outbreak. The 10th and 12th board exams will be carried forward.
ORISSA
Orissa has had comparatively fewer cases with the state’s proportion of positive cases amongst the total number of tests conducted being the lowest in any Indian state. The Orissa government is facilitating the distribution of relief materials and safety materials in a very organized manner.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik requested all private educational institutes in the state to consider slashing school fees or extending the deadline for payments, amid the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19. The State Government directed food supplies and the consumer welfare department to start distribution of 5-kg rice and one kg dal free of cost to ration card holders for three months. The distribution of free food grains is an addition to the monthly quota supplied to people covered under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and State Food Security Scheme (SFSS). The free food grains are provided under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to deal with the economic impact of lockdown. The government is also supplying milled arhar dal to beneficiaries for three months. The State had earlier announced to provide three months of ration in advance to facilitate the beneficiaries to avail of these at their convenience while maintaining social distancing. The free food grains will benefit over 3.38 lakh people of 1.16 lakh families of the State.
Furthermore, the Orissa government on Thursday airlifted COVID-19 test kits for 4,000 tests, reagents and Viral Transport Medium (VTM) kits from Mumbai through special air cargo, in a move to strengthen the government's efforts to build its testing facilities. It is the first Indian state to do so. Meanwhile, the state cabinet has also approved a proposal to buy the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recognized COVID-19 Rapid Testing Kits.
Similar to the technique used to tackle the cyclone, the government has set up committees to tackle the virus. A group of ministers has been formed to help set up a health disaster training center to employ more trained health professionals. Another committee was formed to ensure the safe and efficient movement of transportation of the essential commodities in the market. District administrations have also been trained to tackle this situation. The Gangham district, one of the hotspots of outward migration, has leveraged local self-help groups to become service providers. Village administrations have also been warned to ensure safe and healthy water services to avoid waterborne diseases.
Orissa’s massive reach of women led self help groups (SHGs) has also largely helped the government deal with the outbreak. The chief minister called upon the state’s network of SHGs comprising about 70 lakh women spread across all the districts, villages and gram panchayats (GPs) of the state — to help. When the first set of health advisories pertaining to symptoms, treatments, and measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus, by maintaining regular hand hygiene and social distancing were announced, it was this network that was able to deliver these advisories by personally reaching out to every household in more than 60,000 villages in about 8,000 gram panchayats within just 3 days.
The state has now relaxed the lockdown regulations by allowing construction of roads, buildings, irrigation and industrial projects of rural areas to facilitate the livelihood opportunities for the people. The social distancing parameters are strictly followed amongst the laborers in different worksites and there has been a complete prohibition of tobacco and gutka in these worksites.
PUNJAB
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has taken measures to safeguard the people from the novel coronavirus. All schools and colleges were closed and the government issued advisories to gyms, restaurants, movie halls, theaters, etc. On 19 March, all public transportation services were shut down and there was a prohibition of more than 20 people gathering in one single area. A lockdown was declared and a full curfew was imposed. The government directed deputy commissioners to ensure strict enforcement of the curfew in all districts and check availability of essential items.
Punjab government sanctioned 20 crore rupees for free food, medicines to poor from the CM Relief Fund and ministers pledge month's salary for efforts to control COVID-19. Amid concerns that hygiene conditions in mandis were not up to the mark, the Chief Minister ordered a health audit of these centres, where 185 lakh metric tonnes of wheat is expected to arrive till June, when the procurement will come to an end. Distribution of wheat and pulses to the beneficiaries Antodya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) was started. As a pro active initiative, Punjab Government decided to ameliorate the hardships faced by the poor due to economic disruption and decided to provide additional food-grains allocation of 5 Kg/person/month free of cost for three months i.e. April-June, 2020 to all the beneficiaries (AAY and PHH) category covered under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) as per provisions of NFSA. Additionally, pulses at 1Kg /family/month free of cost for three months are also being distributed.
Accordingly, Punjab Government has allocated 212164 M.T.s of wheat and 10800 M.T. of pulses for distribution to the beneficiaries (AAY and PHH) and the distribution for the pulses will be started in two days after the receipt from NAFED. It was decided that farmers will be given passes to go to mandis with their produce so that there is no overcrowding. The state asked the Centre for incentives for farmers who delay bringing their grain to mandis. It has also increased the number of purchase centres and sheller yards to spread out the operations further. The government is procuring rapid test kits by which testing will be increased in areas from where positive cases have been reported. They have also ordered 10 lakh kits from ICMR, and raised inquiry for 10,000 kits in the open market.
Community testing for severe acute respiratory infection in the hotspots is being done and the hotspots have so far been seen in SBS Nagar, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Mansa and two areas of SAS Nagar. Areas with more than two confirmed cases are being declared hotspots. The Punjab government has issued an advisory to industries and commercial establishments in the state, asking them not to terminate employees or deduct their wages, as non-essential factories remain shut due to a countrywide lockdown to combat coronavirus. Any employee who takes leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic should be treated on duty, alongside workers of factories or units made non-operational by any government order over coronavirus.
TAMIL NADU
Chennai and Coimbatore were worst impacted by Covid 19. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami ordered the closure of all educational institutions, entertainment zones and also the closure of all state borders. In Tamil Nadu, the hosiery hub of Tiruppur, which accounts for two lakh migrant workers, and Chennai with 1.34 lakh work force, have the highest concentration of migrant labourers in the state. In neighbouring Kancheepuram district, around 38,000 migrant workers have been identified by the administration. The Tamil Nadu government has led efforts to help people stranded in other states, especially daily wage workers.
Tamil Nadu government, in the wake of the corona virus outbreak, is facilitating the distribution of relief material to all laborers of the unorganized sector to help them survive. The government announced plans for creating containment zones to stop the community spread. The containment zones of 5 km2 radius around the residences of infected across 16 districts were set up. Active surveillance along with passive surveillance outside of it to trace the contacts of the infected has been initiated. They have also screened people in their houses inside containment zones of 16 affected districts for fever and other symptoms. The state has deployed officers to conduct testing in the corona affected districts and monitor and trace all the testing and results of the people.
They also asked 47 temples to donate total of rupees 10 crores to the CM Relief Fund. The state government has ordered the distribution of 5,450 tonnes of free rice to 2,985 mosques during the month of Ramzan, so that those who were keeping Rozas would not suffer. This rice at Rs 21/kg will cost the Tamil Nadu government little over Rs 11 crore.
The government has sanctioned 130 crores to extend financial assistance to the people from the unorganised sector. Rs. 1000 was issued to each member of the 14 lakh registered labourers in the welfare boards. The money was deposited to the bank accounts of each person. The department has also identified over 4 lakh guest workers from other states to distribute relief kits including 15 kg rice, 1 kg dal and 1 litre cooking oil. The Tamil Nadu government has also appointed senior IAS officer Atulya Misra as its nodal officer to regulate the movement of stranded persons, including migrant workers, in the state during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. Misra will regulate the movement of pilgrims, tourists, students, migrant workers and others who have been stranded in different places in Tamil Nadu. He will also coordinate with other states for bringing those from Tamil Nadu stranded in other parts of the country, due to the prohibitory measures enforced by the Centre to contain the spread of Covid-19. The Tamil Nadu government has also passed an order for the resumption of work in the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) which is a safety net for more than 60 lakh women in the state. All workers are directed to be given masks and only one third of workers have been mobilized. The government has also enhanced the MGNREGA wages from Rs. 229 to Rs. 256.
ASSAM
Assam's fight against the novel coronavirus has been largely spearheaded by the state's Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. To combat the COVID-19, Assam government has invoked the Epidemic Act 1897 to prevent the spread of disease. The Government of Assam makes compulsory quarantine of 14 days for people coming from outside the state or country. Quarantine centres with 700 beds were set up at the Sarusojai Sports Complex and an apartment had been rented nearby by the Government where at least 200 doctors can stay. Isolation wards of 200 beds in Sonapur Hospital, ICU ward of 30 beds in Gauhati Medical College and Hospital and 150 beds at Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital were set up by the Government. Quarantine wards of 1500 beds were also set up for Assam Police Personnel. 30 doctors and around 200 nurses have also been kept exclusively for the police personnel.
As of 26 April 2020, 7,616 COVID-19 tests have been conducted at six laboratories in Assam, located at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Assam Medical College and Hospital, Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, Barpeta Medical College and Hospital and Tezpur Medical College and Hospital
On 26 March 2020, Assam State Government launched the Assam Arogya Nidhi Fund for COVID-19 relief, and it is now seeking contributions to the fund from the public. The purpose of the fund is to help the state government in its efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus in Assam. As of 20 April 2020, over 40,000 people had donated more than Rs 100 cr (one billion rupees) to the Assam Arogya Nidhi fund. The Income Tax Department and the Finance Ministry have declared that all donations to the fund are 100 per cent tax-deductible, being donations to a fund set up by a state government to provide medical relief to the poor under Sec 80G (1) of the Income Tax Act. Assam government has decided to transfer $2000 to those people from Assam stranded outside the country.
Many well-known businessmen, social activists, government employees, sports personalities, religious trusts and even ordinary members of the public have contributed to the Assam Arogya Nidhi fund. Guwahati-based businessman and social activist Anand Kumar Jain donated over Rs 2 crore (20 million rupees) to support the fight against coronavirus. Three other businessmen from Assam also contributed sizable amounts to the fund: Anil Das donated Rs 50 lakh, Anupam Sarma Rs 25 lakh and Aditya Goswami Rs 21 lakh. The Kamakhya Devalaya temple contributed Rs. 5 lakh (500,000 rupees). Even, all the govt. employees of Assam have donated one-day’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Following the pandemic, Assam state Election commission has deferred election to Bodoland Territorial Council. Election was slated for April 4. Assam government and opposition Congress had sought deferment of polls to the sixth schedule council.
People from Assam who had gone outside the country in the last 30 days and are stranded, will get $2000 as an initial amount. There will be an email where they can apply. Even those people whose visa and passport has expired during these periods can write to the government, they will assist in renewing these. The State government has ordered cancellation of all exams.
The state government has asked 50 percent of its employees on rotation basis to work from home however this order will exempt those employees who are engaged in essential services. The government will introduce hand stamping of those persons who arrive here by railways and airways to maintain social distancing. In passenger vehicles there cannot be any passenger standing. All passenger vehicles will carry passengers as per the sitting capacity. Shops in shopping malls are asked to ensure no more than 50 persons are there. Guwahati Municipal Corporation is assessing as to what should be comfortable number of people in a mall and we will accordingly implement the same. Crowded market places are asked to ensure that there is no crowding.
Assam has evolved a model whereby it will test a person, trace the travel and contact history. They are testing 150 to 200 samples everyday day. Even samples from Nagaland, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh are tested in the facilities of Assam. In the first wave of the virus, Assam has broken the chain by not allowing the virus to spread from a person to society. The government has flattened the curve and is comfortably placed so far as first wave is concerned.
In another initiative, Assam is providing financial help to those patients suffering from Cancer and that went outside Assam for treatment and patients who have gone outside the state for Kidney, liver transplant and heart operations. Around 725 people are provided Rs 25,000 each. The government has verified over four lakh calls and over two lakh people have filled up forms for availing financial assistance. The Assam government on Monday transferred ₹2,000 each to the accounts of 86,000 people from the State stranded across India due to the COVID-19.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has launched ‘COVAAS’, a mobile application to address all the COVID-19 related issues in Assam. To make the lives of people easier during this pandemic, COVAAS brings together the initiatives undertaken by the Government of Assam under a single platform.
The App has features like District wise dashboard, helplines, safety videos and volunteer services asserting that state has successfully negotiated the first wave of Corona and flattened the curve, the health minister said the state is now preparing and working on a detailed plan to deal with the people who will come back to Assam post lockdown is lifted.
WEST BENGAL
State government announced the closure of educational institutions till 15 April. The chief minister said that even ICDS would be closed till 15 April and two kilograms of rice and potatoes would be sent to the children directly so that the meals can be cooked at home.
The government has mandated a partial work-from-home system for 7.9 crore people who get subsidized rations and pledged to give free ration to the poor till September.
The government has created a Rs 200 crore fund to deal with the impact of COVID-19 and converted Kolkata Medical College & Hospital, for isolation of people suspected with Coronavirus. It has issued orders to authorities of every districts to set up temporary arrangements of shelter and food to migrants and poor.
The West Bengal Government has ordered the municipal commissioner to take up with the employers to arrange for proper food/lodging arrangements at their place of work/stay and regular payment of wages so that they can procure essential items.
Apart from these measures the necessary laws have already been enacted by the state such as shutting of offices, public places etc. Strict rule of social distancing is being followed in the state as well. The state also barred the force closing of essential shops to prevent crowding at the stores leading to the vitiation of social distancing, therefore the pharmacies must remain open during normal hours of operation.
According to the state order dated 29th march, adequate arrangements of temporary shelters and food etc shall be made by the District Administration for the poor and needy people, including Migrant workers stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas. Different NGOs and Civil service and other voluntary organisations support and augment the services as well.
Migrant people who have returned under home/institutional quarantine should be put under strict surveillance and daily monitoring. The people who manage to move into the state inspite of these restrictions are necessarily kept in the nearest government facility for a minimum of 14 days.
The government has ordered that the employers shall make payment of wages of their workers at their work place on due date, without any deduction for the period of their establishments under closure during lockdown. Wherever workers including migrants living in rented accommodation, the landlords of those properties shall not demand payment of rent for a period of one month. Landlords forcing labourers and students to vacate their premises will be liable for action under the act.
The advisory for quarantine migrant workers can be found here-
The government of West Bengal has also come up with a new scheme called “SNEHER PARAS”. The scheme is launched for a one time financial assistance to the migrant workers who are resident of West Bengal and who are stranded in different parts of the country. More information about it could be found here.
Another scheme is introduced to provide financial assistance to daily wage/labourers who have lost employment or livelihood opportunities due to outbreak of COVID-19. More information can be found here.
TELANGANA
The Government of Telangana has empowered all the officers from the Director of Public Health, Commissioner of Vaidya Vidhana Parishad, district collectors and municipal commissioners to take stringent measures necessary to prevent the outbreak of Coronavirus (Covid-19) or its spread within their respective jurisdictions. Drawing inspiration from The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the government has framed “The Telangana Epidemic Diseases (Covid-19) Regulations, 2020” as part of its efforts to contain the spread of the virus. The 1897 Act, in the words of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, provides government officials to take all such measures as may be necessary to contain the spread of the virus.
Some of the measures include-
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Barring entry and exit of population from the containment area
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Closure of schools, offices, cinema halls, swimming pools, gyms, other public places, etc. and banning mass congregations and functions as may be deemed necessary.
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Initiating active and passive surveillance of COVI D- 19 cases.
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Hospital isolation of all suspected cases and their contacts.
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Designating any Government or private building as a quarantine facility.
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Any other measure as directed by Health & Family Welfare Department.
The State government has employed an end-to-end IT dashboard, which is tracking patients from testing to discharge. Treatment and discharge protocols of Covid-19 patients are being followed at Gandhi Hospital. The hospital has 93 per cent of the State’s entire Covid-19 patients and is also equipped with a laboratory to undertake 300 tests a day. After the treatment, the patients were being dropped home in vehicles arranged by the government. Mobile messages were being sent to suspected cases who were under home quarantine while the patients also had access to free WiFi.
As a precautionary measure for doctors and nurses involved in Covid-19 treatment, the Telangana government is mulling keeping them in private hotels at state expenses. This is being done as a precautionary measure in case the virus spreads rapidly. The government is of the opinion that doctors and nurses as frontline personnel treating coronavirus patients need to be put in a safe environment.
The Public Health and Family Welfare Department of the government of Telangana invested swiftly to deploy India's first automated "COVID-19 Monitoring System App" by Vera Smart Healthcare. According to the department, the objective of this app is to identify patients, undertake live surveillance, track, monitor, and provide real-time analytics to the chief minister and the state health department.
The system empowers each health worker to handle 1,500+ phone calls, and simple chatbot conversations each day with a patient to ensure that the symptomatic or confirmed 'positive' individual is quarantined and undergoing treatment. It will help strengthen the contacts outreach of Covid-19 patients significantly. The callers will also persuade and remind the patient to self-administer the prescribed treatment, to maintain social distancing, as well as remind them to stay home and stay safe.
1,500-2,000 Asha and ANM workers will be using this app at any given point of time. These workers will forward the information to around 4,800 PHC sub-centres from where it will be sent to one of the state's 886 public health centres (PHCs). This data will then be shared with the concerned district medical health office for appropriate action. This user-friendly app has been developed by an early stage start-up Vera Smart Healthcare based out of Hyderabad and the US. The system has helped track and monitor the foreign returnees; prevent community spread and help hospitalize people for severe acute respiratory infection (SARS) very early to control the spread of COVID pandemic in the state.
Vera Centralised Covid-19 Monitoring System is a timely technology innovation that eases the pain of health workers by effective surveillance, and deploys a meticulous tech-enabled method to collate vital data at the click of a button, thereby empowering active associates across the state, from the hierarchical polity to bureaucracy to the front line ASHA and ANM workers, to make Covid19 history.
Railways on Friday ran a special train to ferry 1,200 stranded migrants from Lingampally in Telangana to Hatia in Jharkhand, a first since the lockdown began. Ministry of Home Affairs allowed inter-state movement by buses for the stranded students, labourers, tourists, and pilgrims; Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, Kerala and Telangana urged the centre to run non-stop special trains 'keeping in view the large number of persons to be transported to a given destination' The state govt has already brought back round 13,000 people from Haryana.
It just took 20 days for the Telangana government to convert a 14-storey tower at Gachibowli sports complex in the city, into a 1,500-bedded COVID-19 special hospital. About a 1,000-strong workforce sweated it out to convert the tower, part of the sports complex, constructed in 2002, into a full-pledged coronavirus hospital with 50 intensive care unit (ICU) beds.
The state government proved that like China built a makeshift 1,000-bedded hospital in just ten days in Wuhan at the peak of coronavirus spread, Telangana can also do wonders in terms of making quick decisions and execution of plans.
Telangana State Medical Services Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMSIDC) undertook the task and finished it in less than three weeks. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had on April 19 said the hospital will later be converted into a super-specialty hospital known as Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (TIMS). Chandrasekhar Reddy, managing director of TSMSIDC, said it was a turnkey project taken up on emergency basis to convert the sports tower into a hospital with all necessary infrastructure.
Telangana government has launched a dedicated website https://factcheck.telangana.gov.in as part of its efforts to check the spread of fake news, misinformation and rumours in the backdrop of coronavirus spread and the consequent lockdown. Telangana is the first state to set up such an exclusive portal for fact checking on fake news.
The Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA) formed by IT Expert Sundeep Kumar Makthala and V Prakash has launched a unique Digithon, Hackathon to upscale the efforts against Covid-19 and help those stranded abroad.
TITA launched Digithon Covid-19 online clinic, through which it will offer medical assistance to people who are believed to be having symptoms of Covid-19 in rural areas. The patients can get basic treatment and information about the pandemic to plan their treatment.
As many as 5,746 teams have been deployed to fight against COVID-19 in the state.
Distribution of 12 kg rice and Rs. 500 to each migrant worker has begun actively in Hyderabad.
HARYANA
Helpline Numbers
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District Call Center: 1950 (09:00 am to 21:00 pm)
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Ambulance Helpline: 108 (24x7)
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9953618102 (24x7)
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0124-2322412 (09:00 am to 17:00 pm)
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For Volunteering: 9319300500; covid19gurugram@gmail.com
https://gurugram.gov.in/ncovidcoronavirus-19-help-desk/
Government Based Programs/Schemes
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Haryan Labour Department issued a necessary advisory to all employers/owners of Private Establishments in the state of Haryana not to terminate the services of their employees or reduce their wages in the view of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Financial Package announced by the Government of Haryana in view of the COVID-19 pandemic disease; subsistence financial assistance to the construction workers.
Workers registered with the Haryana Building and Other Work Constructions’ Board but not the Mukhya Mantri Parivaar Samridhi Yojana (MMPSY)
Rs. 1000/ per week per family during lockdown starting from 30th March -
Contingency Plan for COVID-19: public awareness and media management, material and facility management, healthcare training and surveillance team
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Integrated Disease Surveillance Program
Sensitization of health workers in both district and block level -
Punjab Labor Welfare Fund (Haryana Amendment) Act 2019
Each employee contributes 0.02% of their salary/wage/remuneration and the employer will contribute twice the amount contributed by the employee -
Financial assistance for school uniforms and books for the children of contributing laborers.
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Class 1 to Class 4: Rs. 3000
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Class 5 to Class 10: Rs. 4000
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Monthly salary of laborer should not exceed Rs. 25,000 to avail this assistance scheme
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/74 -
Financial assistance for spectacles for worker
Rs. 1500 for purchase of spectacles
Monthly salary of laborer should not exceed Rs. 25,000 to avail this assistance scheme
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/79 -
Scholarship Scheme for contributing laborers.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/73 -
Financial assistance for the children of contributing workers to develop talent in sports.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/75 -
Financial assistance for children of contributing laborers to develop talent in the cultural sector.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/76 -
Financial assistance of Rs. 3000 for new cycle purchase for contributing laborers to travel from residence to institution
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/78 -
Financial assistance scheme of Rs. 51,000 in the form of a donation on the celebration of the marriage of girls of the contributing workers and self-employed women in the concerned organization.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/80 -
Financial assistance of Rs. 10,000 for maternity to the wives of contributing workers.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/81 -
Financial assistance in the event of disability due to accidents or other reasons.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/82 -
Financial assistance of Rs. 10,000 for providing dental care/seizure to the contributing worker or their dependents.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/83 -
Financial assistance for artificial limbs to the workers and their dependents who were crippled in any accident.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/84 -
Financial assistance of Rs. 5000 for hearing impairments to contributing workers and their deaf dependents.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/85 -
Financial assistance of Rs. 3500 to women to buy new sewing machine.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/86 -
Financial assistance for three-wheelers for Divyang workers and their dependents.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/87 -
Assistance of Rs. 1500 for providing LTC (Leave Travel Concession) facility to contributing workers.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/88 -
Financial assistance to blind, retarded, mute and impaired children of contributing workers.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/90 -
Financial assistance of Rs. 2,00,000 to widows and dependents of the deceased employee.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/91 -
Financial assistance of Rs. 15,000 for cremation and other programs on death of contributing laborer outside the workplace due to any reason.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/92 -
Chief Minister Employee Social Security Scheme of Rs. 5,00,000 for all employees working in industrial and commercial institutions of Haryana State in the event of death while working at the workplace.
https://hrylabour.gov.in/welfare/users/schemeDetailFront/93
MAHARASHTRA
Government
Maharashtra government has set up 262 relief camps providing food and shelter to 5.5 lakh migrant labours and homeless with provision of three meals a day. – 8th April
Food grains are provided along with other essentials to ration card holders, i.e, those who have an annual income between Rs.15,000 and Rs. 1 lakh.
Helpline for Ration
For those without ration service, government introduced the ‘Shiv Bhojan Thali’, a meal service at Rs.10/meal scheme for the marginalized communities at the district level among the 36 districts in the state. On April 7, the cabinet decided to reduce the price to Rs.5 for the next three months and provide accessibility of the scheme to the taluka (town administration) level as well.
National Sports Club of India (NSCI) dome was turned into quarantine facility. Government is also using railway coaches as special observation zones for paitents. State government is also looking at government and private schools as potential quarantine centres.
CM also announced implementation of fever clinics in various cities to reduce stress on hospitals.
NGOs
GOONJ
In Maharashtra, running community kitchens reaching out cooked food packets and also essential ration kits. Working with grassroots organizations in Beed, Mumbai, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan
Contact: mail@goonj.org, Himanshu: +917838037092
SEEDS India
With local partners, Mahatma Phule Samaj Seva Mandal in Sohlapur, provided food and ration.
Contact: +919868506347, pritha@seedsindia.org
Farm Chain
