NEW DELHI, APRIL 5
To minimise the impact of coronavirus and revive the economy, the government has started working out the possible post-lockdown scenarios and is considering another booster shot but nothing has been finalised yet, senior officials privy to the developments said on Sunday.
The focus is on issues that may come up after the lockdown is lifted on April 15, an official said.
There have been discussions about a package but nothing has been finalised yet, the official said, adding that the idea is to revive consumption, “so some measures might be needed.”
If a package is announced, it would be the third major initiative by the government to tackle the challenges thrown up by the rapid spread of coronavirus.
To mitigate the hardships of small taxpayers, CBDT has issued an order stating that if a person had submitted valid Forms 15G and 15H to the Banks or other institutions for F.Y. 2019-20, then these Forms would be valid up to 30.06.2020. #IndiaFightsCorona #StayHomeStaySafe pic.twitter.com/zJteSv1ozX
— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) April 4, 2020
On March 24, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a countrywide lockdown, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a slew of relief measures for taxpayers and businesses.
Two days later, Sitharaman announced a Rs 1.7-lakh-crore relief package for those hit hardest.
On Sunday, the officials said they are also looking at the possibility of redesigning some welfare and other government schemes to suit the post-lockdown situation.
These States are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand & West Bengal. The remaining Rs 11,092 crore is to all States as advance payment of Central share of 1st instalment of SDRMF. pic.twitter.com/GqiIc1FnAr
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) April 3, 2020
Various options are on the table, such as scholarships and fellowships given by ministries, harvesting of rabi crops, and the government has started to address them one by one, they said.
SBI CSP at Jagraon ensures seamless banking experience for customers while at the same time encourages them to practice Social Distancing to stop the spread of Coronavirus. We shall fight this pandemic together.#COVID19 #Coronavirus #SBIFamily #ProudSBI pic.twitter.com/vIYYtaGK8F
— State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) April 3, 2020
Of the 10 empowered groups of senior bureaucrats constituted by the prime minister to prepare India’s response to COVID-19, one group is tasked to suggest economic measures.
#IndiaFightsCorona https://t.co/hBO4f9vGam
— CBIC (@cbic_india) April 4, 2020
An informal group of ministers, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is also looking into various aspects of the lockdown.
