Karnataka government announced lockdown extension and second relief package

Bengaluru: On Thursday, the Karnataka government had extended the lockdown till 6 am on June 14. Earlier, it was to end on June 7. The government had declared a second relief package of Rs 500 crore which will directly benefit more than 60 lakh workers in organised sectors with one time financial assistance.

All existing restrictions on economic activities, movement of vehicles and people will be continued till mod June.

On this, BS Yediyurappa said that even though the number of active cases and fresh cases has come down but the transmission chain has not been broken yet in several places.

Presently, only export-oriented industries are permitted to operate with 30% staff.

The relief package of Rs 500 crore would be beneficial to teachers of private unaided schools, weavers, fishermen, Asha and anganwadi workers, workers in film industry, temple priests, muezzins and power loom workers. Yediyurappa said that the relief package would help 62.5 lakh people.

The relief was meant for sections of workers left out of the previous package of Rs. 1250 crore announced two weeks ago.

Yediyurappa said the lockdown would be lifted “completely to allow all activities to resume after June 14” if the Covid positivity rate talked below 5% across the state. He said, “We have no intention to continue with the lockdown provided people follow the lockdown guidelines strictly and help contain the spread of the pandemic.”

Moreover, government school students will be provided with 500gm of mild powder by the government for May and June.

Government provides relief to micro, small and medium industries by writing off monthly fixed charges levied on them for May and June. Other industries have been given time till July 30 to pay the fixed charges. The CM said that about 3 lakh industries will benefit from this measure.

The CM also announced disbursement of cash assistance for 70% of auto-rickshaw, taxi drivers and workers on unorganised sector in the first package will start soon. Workers coming under the second package will get relied in 2-3 days.

The Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association, though welcomed the decision to exempt MSME from paying fixed charges on power for May and June and concession of Rs. 3000 for powerloom workers, said the government should have done substantially more for this sector.

Rahul B Goyal, secretary of Karnataka Hardware and Allied Merchants Association, said “The government did not provide us relief last year and this year too. We are unable to pay salaries, rents and meet other expenses. If we do not pay salaries to our employees, we are under scrutiny from the labour department. However, we have been doing our bit by supplying free food to coolies and other in our area despite no income.”