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.
"D Raja should demand that communists should shoot and kill his daughter for taking part in the JNU protest. To prove my love for this country, I would have done the same if my child was taking part in such anti-national protests," he told reporters in Coimbatore on Saturday.
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More such a talks are more benefit for Congress. Nai Bogalidare Deva loka haalaaguwude????
Let them bark whatever they feel. Let us fight for the freedom from RSS - Jai JNU
These BJP leaders and their followers are crazy.
Those students are not anti nationals. they are protesting for their rights. They are joined by the staff of the JNU.
Most of the students & staff are Hindus. If you are a flag carriers of Patriotism, how your own children can do this.
They are fighting against govt policy.
Why should the parents kill their children. If you want to kill, die yourself, that is also you don't have right to kill yourself. Because your life is the property of your God and it is given by your God.
Are people Mad ,,,,,even after ZEE tv producer quit and agreed that the slogans were fake .....but its also fact that the damage to JNU almost successful ..........
anyways Fascism is already in Thrid stage....either we have to cut the main part of take proper therapy for Fascist Media
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