Coronavirus: Eight lakh in Delhi get Rs 5,000 each, next instalment in April first week

Delhi government on Friday transferred Rs 5,000 each to eight lakh beneficiaries under widow, differently-abled and elderly pension schemes while promising to transfer another Rs 5,000 in the first week of April to help them tide over the crisis emerging out of the spread of COVID-19 and the subsequent national lock-down.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the eight lakh beneficiaries include five lakh elderly, two lakh widows and one lakh disabled. He said another installment will be paid in the first week of next month.

He also appealed to migrant workers leaving Delhi to come back saying the government is arranging food for them. The Delhi government on Friday enhanced the capacity to serve two lakh people from 20,000 while it plans to double it to four lakh from Saturday.

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Already 325 schools have been identified for serving food to migrant workers and other vulnerable sections.

"Those who are leaving Delhi and going back to their home states, I want to appeal to them to come back because we are arranging for their food. Many social and religious organizations, along with the Delhi government, have come forward to help," he said adding he had received letters from his counterparts Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal) and Hemant Soren (Jharkhand) seeking his help to ensure that people from those states are looked after well.

"There can be some difficulties and errors on our part. I want to appeal to the media to keep intimating us on our mistakes. We will eventually be able to streamline the process in another two-three days," he said.