Amid lockdown, FM unveils relief package, says 'no one will go hungry'

Coronavirus India Live Updates: Asserting that the government is helping those who have been affected directly because of the nationwide lockdown, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday presented a economic relief package worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore. The Finance Minister also announced a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for healthcare workers who are at the forefront of dealing with coronavirus pandemic and free grains for poor for the next three months.

Announcing Garib Kalyan Yojana, Sitharaman said 80 crore poor or two-third of population would get 5 kg rice or wheat free for the next three months. This will be over and above the 5 kg they already get. Additionally, they will also get 1 kg of preferred pulse.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join a virtual summit of G-20 leaders, chaired by Saudi King Salman, to discuss the coronavirus pandemic. With Jammu and Kashmir reporting its first Covid-19 death Thursday, the death toll in India spiked to 13 and the number of positive cases soared to 649. On the other hand, the global death toll has reached 21,287.

Globally, the death toll has reached 21,287 with Italy reporting the highest number of casualties at 7,503 followed by Spain, which crossed China's toll on Wednesday, at 3,647, China at 3,163, Iran at 2,077 and France at 1,331 deaths so far. While the total number of confirmed cases across the world has reached 471,407 today.

(INputs and image from theindianexpress.com)