How Will the Govt’s Rs 1.7 Lakh Cr Relief Package Reach the Poor?

Will the Centre’s Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package benefit the poor or is it too late? Find out on this podcast.

The Rs 1.7 lakh crore package looks great on paper, and will help partially, but the fine details paint a less than stellar picture for the poor.

(Image: Altered by The Quint)

As India entered its second day of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an economic relief package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore to help the poor and those at the frontline of the battle against COVID-19.

As of this recording, the number of COVID-19 deaths in India touched 13 with infections inching past the 700-mark. Meanwhile, thousands of labourers and migrant workers have been left helpless, forced to walk hundreds of kilometres in the rising heat, across state highways, to reach their homes, with no food, water or money.

What are these benefits? How will they reach the poor? And are they adequate to prevent thousands from going hungry?