Bengaluru, Apr 18: Amid fears that people from the unorganised sector are running out of cash to meet their daily expenses, the Karnataka government said there was no data available for such labourers, who can be provided financial assistance under the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme.
"The government does not have data of people in the unorganised sector such as drivers, farmers, domestic help and others. If we have to deposit directly into their account, we need data..," State Labour minister A Shivaram Hebbar told reporters.
The minister said a situation borne out of the COVID-19, where the entire nation has been lockdown was never anticipated.
To him, the pandemic has given an opportunity to gather information about the unorganised sector.
"This COVID-19 has taught the department and the workers a lesson that we should be prepared for a situation like this. We have learnt that all the information about labourers should be available with the labour department," Hebbar conceded.
The minister opined that the department should have had the list during the good times but nobody bothered to have it.
"During the good times nobody bothered about it -- neither they (beneficiaries) asked for it, nor we thought of it.," Hebbar said.
Now that the pandemic has struck, the government is focusing only on not letting anyone starve to death.
A three-level preparation has been made -- at the village level, Taluk level and the city level, the minister said.
Village anganwadis have been stuffed with food items to be cooked for the needy, whereas in Taluk level, government hostels have been turned into shelters for the labourers, he said, noting that lakhs of philanthropists in cities have come forward to feed the people from unorganised sector.
"The basic objective of our government is that no one should starve to death. The issue of organised or unorganised sector comes next," he explained.
On the fear of large-scale retrenchment, the minister said notices have been served on all the industries that no one should be expelled from the job.
However, Hebbar underlined that the industrialists today are as much in distress as the workers and his department was taking into account everyone's concern.
A decision will be taken in this connection by the government in the next two days, to provide assistance to small enterprises to keep them afloat.
Comments
Hope and trust, Police dept will pull out their god father in from of public with impose punishment by sending them behind bar for at least 5yrs period - with out waiting for any source of innocent public's protest.
Please publish their photogrpahs in all available new paper and electronic media first.
Show their faces pls.
Good job Mangalore Police! Keep it up guys!
This youths are paid goondas. Who gave them bike ? who gave them money? who gave them weapons ? who is the real BOSS behind these activities. I am sorry to say that the DK police who knows very well but can't disclose them because of the pressure from the political giants. Everyone knows that Sangha Pariwar's Big bosses are having close relationship with the present governments MLA's , Ministers in DK ( behind the curtain )
Shoot them in the middle of the road...
I request with police dept to find out the real mastermind of this attack and also punish this sanghi terrorists. Kachra nan maklu nimm janmakke thu thu.. Please ban RSS,BD,RS,ABVP and other all kachra sangi organisations.
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