Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY)

Source: ibef.org

To help poor persons at the time of nationwide lockdown, the Government announced a package of ₹1.70 lakh crore under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Additionally, the Government announced medical insurance coverage for Covid-19 warriors.

Want to know about PM Garib Kalyan Yojana and its benefits? Read along!

Launched by the Government of India, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana is a scheme where the Government allows individuals to deposit money that is not taxed. Here, the Government mandated for individuals to pay 50% of the untaxed amount.

This scheme came into effect in 2016. In the beginning, this scheme was valid from December 2016 to March 2017. Later, the Government extended this PMGKY scheme until June 2020, which was further extended to November 2020.

As individuals have gained a basic idea about PMGKY Yojana, we can now focus on the eligibility criteria, benefits registration process and related things.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana eligibility includes the following individuals -

• Different sections of the society include migrant workers, urban and rural poor, women and farmers.
• Health workers.
• Low wage-earning employees.
• Small establishments (with up to 100 employees)

As stated earlier, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana came into force primarily to get a hold of black money from tax evaders. Here, the Government allowed individuals to disclose their undeclared assets, which would be helpful to resolve the country's income inequality. As the scheme extended to November 2020, the Government decided to include relief packages to support the livelihood of the poor during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. 

PMGKY benefits, i.e., financial benefits, are classified into two parts. These are -

• Food Security
• Direct Transfer Benefit (DBT)

Food Security

The Government announced that 80 crore people will receive 5kg of wheat or rice and 1kg of preferred pulses every month till November 2020. This benefit is available under PM Garib Ann Yojana, a part of PM Garib Kalyan Yojana. The Government provides this benefit with an addition to 5 kg of rice or wheat that those individuals receive every month.

Direct Transfer Benefit (DBT)

• Increased Daily Wage: Workers under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment) can now get an additional ₹20 (wage increased from ₹182 to ₹ 202) for 100 days which results in an increase of ₹2000. This increased wage will benefit 5 crore families.
• Credit Facility for Women: Women Self-Help Groups were previously eligible for a loan of ₹10 lakh under the Deen Dayal Yojana. Now, nearly 63 lakh can avail collateral loans of ₹20 lakh under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
• Benefits for Jan Dhan Women Account Holders: 20 crore women account holders of Jan Dhan Yojana can receive ex-gratia of ₹500 per month (from the following three months of launch date).
• Additional Payment to Farmers: The Government offers ₹2000 additionally as a front-load under ongoing PM Kisan Nidhi Yojana. This payment in the first week of April 2020 benefitted 8.7 crore families.
• PF Benefit: The Government will pay 24% of monthly wages into the PF account contribution of both employer and employee. This decision benefitted small establishments with less than 100 employees where a majority of wage earners receive salaries below ₹15000 per month.
• Advantages for Poor Senior, Poor Disabled, and Poor Widows: Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, the Government will pay ₹1000 of ex-gratia to 3 crores poor senior, poor disabled, and poor widows for over 3 months.
• Free LPG Cylinders: Over 8 crore families belonging to the BPL category and have LPG connection under the Ujjawala scheme will get gas cylinders free of cost for 3 successive months.
• Construction Workers: Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 3.5 crores registered construction and building workers will benefit from the allotted welfare fund of ₹31000 crores. The Central Government has instructed the State Government to judicially utilise the fund and protect construction workers against economic disruptions.
• District Mineral Fund: The Central Government has instructed State Governments to use district mineral funds for screening, testing etc., to fight against Covid-19.

The insurance scheme is a part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, which targets Health Workers Fighting COVID-19. This scheme covers Government-insured healthcare professionals who are treating Covid-19 patients.

As per this scheme, families of healthcare professionals will get ₹50 lakh in case of accidental death while serving Covid-19 related duty. It covers almost 22 lakh health workers combating Covid-19. Here, the Ministry of Family and Welfare pays the premium of the Insurance Scheme.

Individuals eligible for this insurance scheme include Public healthcare providers. They are -

• Community health workers
• Private hospital staff
• Retired
• Volunteers
• Local urban bodies
• Contracted
• Daily wage
• Ad-hoc
• Outsourced staff 

The eligibility list includes other types of employees, such as -

• Safai karamcharis
• Ward boys
• Nurses
• ASHA workers
• Paramedics
• Technicians
• Doctors
• Specialists and other health workers

Till now, you must have learnt about crucial PMGKY scheme details, eligibility, and relief package amount in detail.

Next, let’s learn about the registration, application and status checking process.

Follow the steps below to complete the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana registration.

• Step-1- Go to the official website of Press Information Bureau.
• Step-2- Here, you can view option to apply for PMGKY; click on it.
• Step-3- Next, fill in bank and other details as per requirements to complete the registration process.

Do not forget to take a printout for future reference.

Below is a step-by-step guide to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana application process.

• Step-1- Visit the official Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package portal.
• Step-2- Download the application form and fill in the details. Provide your name, address and other essential details.
• Step-3- Click on submit option.

Individuals can check the status of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana at the FCS portal of each state.

We have reached the end of this article with such a comprehensive discussion on the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

On an ending note, readers must know that due to the ongoing battle with COVID-19, the Government has decided to extend the period of this insurance scheme. This decision will help families of health care professionals in case of their accidental death while being on Covid-19 related duty.