The Delhi government will provide Rs 50,000 ex gratia to each family that has lost a member to Covid-19, besides a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 if the deceased was an earning member, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Tuesday.
He also said that the children who have lost both parents, or single parent, due to Covid-19 will also be provided a monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 up to the age of 25 years. Also, the government will provide them free education.
Addressing an online media briefing, the chief minister said that all these announcements will be implemented in a few days after getting them approved by the Delhi Cabinet.
Kejriwal also said that each of 72 lakh ration card holders in the city will be provided free 10 Kg ration, including 5 Kg from a central government scheme, this month.
The poor and the needy will be provided free ration even if they are without ration card, he added. No documents will be needed to get ration by them, he said.
Delhi has lost 22,111 persons due to COVID-19 so far, according to a health bulletin on Tuesday.
Pointing that many families have lost their members, including breadwinners, Kejriwal said his government pondered over for days on ways to provide relief to them and also those whose livelihood has been affected due to lockdown.
"Each family in which death has occurred due to COVID, ex gratia of Rs 50,000 will be provided."
"There are also many families where the earning member died due to COVID-19. Such families will be provided a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 besides the ex gratia of Rs 50,000," he said.
Kejriwal said he knew many children who lost their parents to coronavirus and were rendered orphan.
"Such children whose both parents or single parent died due to COVID-19, will also be provided Rs 2,500 per month till they achieve 25 years of age. The Delhi government will also provide free education to them," he said.
"In these difficult times when people are in trouble, I will always stand beside you. It is my duty to help you whenever you are in trouble" Kejriwal said.
The chief minister said that all the steps to provide relief to the people were being taken because they elected an "honest" government.
"We have made this possible by checking bribery and expenditure extravagance in government works and saving money."
In a bid to help Delhi people hit hard by COVID-19 and the ongoing lockdown, the Delhi government has so far provided one-time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to registered labourers and auto, taxi drivers in the city.
Kejriwal also appealed to the Central government to immediately cancel all air services with Singapore, saying a new strain of coronavirus there is said to be "very dangerous" for children.
This new strain of virus could invade India in the form of a third wave, he said in a tweet.
"The new form of coronavirus in Singapore is said to be very dangerous for children. It could reach Delhi in the form of a third wave. My appeal to the Central government: 1. Cancel all air services with Singapore with immediate effect 2. Work on vaccine alternatives for children on a priority basis," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.
While there is no know Singapore strain of the coronavirus or any known to have originated in the city State, Kejriwal appeared to be referring to a media report on Monday.
The report had mentioned the threat posed to Singapore's children by the variant first detected in India.
Reacting to the media report, Dr V K Paul, member (health), NITI Aayog, on Tuesday said, "We are examining it".
Earlier this month, the chief minister had said Delhi should prepare for a third wave of COVID-19.
The national capital on Tuesday reported 4,482 Covid-19 cases, the lowest single-day rise since April 5, and 265 fatalities, while the positivity rate dipped to 6.89 per cent.
Delhi had reported 4,524 cases and 340 fatalities on Monday, while the positivity rate was 8.42 per cent.
