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II) Interventions by State Governments in the Study States
procedures in the CCIs. Families that are fostering children are directed to ensure safety and follow up health and psychosocial wellbeing status of children under their care. - National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued advisory to District
Child Protection Officer to ensure all CCIs to be equipped with enough academic and recreation material for children, maintain social distancing and disallow outsiders to enter into CCI premises, ensure therapeutic counselling services and medical facility for children with HIV/AIDS etc. The advisory relates to vulnerable children with migrant families or those living on streets. Child Welfare Police Officer (CWPO) are to identify all such children in their jurisdiction and collect details from the child, provide appropriate shelter to families if the children are with families, arrange medival check ups for all children. CWCs are ensure appropriate CCI facilities are arranged – nearby government/private schools, registered NGOs, community centers may be converted into such facilities. Adequate food, water, clothing, sanitation, hygiene and basic medical care have to be ensured in the facility. In case of a girl child, they should be sent to an appropriate shelter or facility meant exclusively for girls. In case girl child is alleged to have been trafficked, food, shelter, toiletries, clothing,counselling, etc be provided under MWCD’s Ujjwala scheme in the interim. In the case of children of families involved in seasonal labour, adequate arrangements of food, shelter, and medical facilities be provided. Same with children of migrant families walking back to their homes. Children in conflict with the law placed in observation homes and special homes maybe granted parole or interim bail. - The advisory from NCPCR instructed Child Welfare Police Officers (CWPOs) to identify atrisk children, orphaned, abandoned, or without shelter; those alone to be moved to a
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CWC facility, those with families to be provided shelter; medical check-ups to be carried out. - NHRC in the month of September directed to ensure health and nutrient supplement to adolescent girls through regular supply of iron supplements are CH services and menstrual hygiene products. The advisory to include without parental care, living in institutions, affected by natural disaster, and children connected with street. The advisory instruct
State commission for protection of Child rights, child welfare committees under the JJ board, civil society organisations to trace, track and register all children living in an extremely vulnerable situations to ensure that the nutrient health and protection needs are being fully met through the state institutions as identified above including ICDS school
MDMS, state food commissions etc.
II) Interventions by State Governments in the Study States
This section documents state governments’ policy measures related food, child nutrition, education, child protection, income relief, health measures, measures for poor, women,
elderly and migrants etc. by Union Governments35 to fight the COVID 19 pandemic until September 2020. It captures some important initiatives of eight sample state governments viz, West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand, focusing on interventions having direct implications for poor and marginalised sections of the population including children.
Food supports and shelters for poor and migrated families including children: Most of the state governments announced relief packages such as few ration, food-grains and cooked food packets and shelters for the needy including migrant workers, beggars, homeless people and daily wage earners.
- As announced from the Chief Minister’s Office in Andhra Pradesh, all BPL households will get ration along with a kg of dal thrice - on March 29th, April 15th & April 29th. The Health,
Medical & Family Welfare (B2) Department announced in March that April ration of rice and 1 kg of Red gram dal will be given free of cost to all rice card holders. Also, the April ration supplies shall be distributed in advance at the FP Shops from 29th March, 2020.
The order says that all rice card holding families would also be given an one-time support of Rs.1000/- to meet the expenditure on other essential commodities such as groceries, vegetables and salt etc. at an estimated cost of Rs.1330 Crores and that steps will be taken to ensure that there is no disruption in the supply of essential commodities like vegetables, basic groceries, milk, egg, poultry, aqua and cattle feed etc.
- Andhra Pradesh will provide free ration of 10 kgs rice and one kg red gram dal, per resident to NGOs running old age homes and child care institutions.
- Government of Karnataka announced that Food grains for the month of April in ration shops to be provided without OTP and with signatures of individuals so that no one miss to get their share. The Karnataka High Court urged state government to specify what action is to be taken by the district administration to ensure that genuine demands received on hunger helpline are attended to. Court also ordered the State government to ensure that migrant workers who wish to remain in the state are provided food in the form of cooked food or ration kits.
- Maharashtra Government announced one-month free ration to all population in the state. Instructions are given to the Panchayat to use Panchayat funds for provision of food and shelter to families in need. Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department announced additional free 5 kg/month for three months’ ration to AAY and PHH (priority households) under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (Central government). Apart from that Bombay High Court directed the State Government to commence processing of the
35 Measures are collected and collated from different sources such as, COVID-19 Government Order Tracker (https://covid-india.in/#), state government websites on circulars, guidelines, SOPs as well as from news paper reports.
applications for issue of ration cards to the eligible persons for obtaining benefit under the Antyodaya Scheme.
- High Court for the State of Telangana directed the State Government to provide foodgrains, consumable items, and medicines to the members of the transgender community free of cost, without insisting on the production of ration card/white card.
- Telangana Government ordered to provide 12 Kg of Rice per person amounting to 3.58 lack tonnes of rice at ₹1103 Crore. Apart from that, the Government provides Rs. 1,500 for all rice card holding families, for buying essential commodities such as groceries and vegetables.
- To ensure supply of essential groceries to all part of the state, the Agriculture Department of Tamilnadu sent directive to determine if Rice Mills, Dal Mills, Oil Mills, Masala Making
Units, Bread/Biscuit/Food Processing Units are functional and to determine where bottlenecks exist in delivery of essential goods to the State.
- Tamilnadu government announced that Transgender without ration cards are also eligible to receive 12kgs rice, 1kg dal, and 1 litre cooking oil, from FPS.
- Government of Bihar announced that all the beneficiaries whose applications for ration cards have been found valid shall be provided with a relief fund and their ration cards shall also be issued soon. The families without ration cards that have been listed by the jeevikadidis shall be provided with relief funds immediately.
- Food and Consumer Protection Depart of Bihar issued order that under Pradhan Mantri
Gareeb Kalyan Yojana, each beneficiary shall be provided with 5 kgs of food grains via ecoupons while maintaining social distance. Dealers were sent advisories not to overcharge the beneficiaries or hoard essential goods.
- Jharkhand Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, with an approved budget of Rs. 3 crore, issued order to operationalise 498 “Community kitchens (Dal Bhaat Kendras)” at all thanas in the 24 districts to serve migrants, homeless, and disabled persons until May 2020. Each community kitchen should be with a serving capacity of at least 200 persons, with a total of 1,68,000 people in the state for two months. In places where community kitchens are restricted, the department ordered for home delivery of emergency relief of dry ration comprising of 2kgs chuda (flattened rice), 0.5kg jiggery, 0.5kg chana. The order said that 5000 of these emergency relief packets shall be distributed in Ranchi and 2000 in the remaining 23 districts of the state.
- Food and Civil Supplies of Jharkhand issued order that 6.9 Lakh families with pending applications for ration cards will also be provided 10 kilos of rice at Rs.1/kilo of rice procured from local market. In this order, Rs.30 Lakh had been sanctioned for each district.
- High Court of Delhi ordered to provide an amount of Rs 1500/- by the JJ Fund and dry ration including rice- 5 kg, dal- 2kg, sugar-1kg, to the institutions having children in conflict with the law.
- Against a petition by Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan, Delhi High Court ordered for effective and time-bound redress mechanism to the complaints of non-supply of rations and ensure transparency in the distribution of food grains through the Public Distribution
System (PDS) and other mechanisms like e-coupons to ensure that people do not go hungry during the lockdown. Delhi High Court also ordered state government to ensure food grains to all those in need irrespective of whether they have ration cards or not; assist people in applying for e-coupon; set up help desks in 580 ration distribution centre to do on spot registration and make the ration distribution; carry out surprise check of ration shops and operationalise adequate number of aata chakkies, where non-PDS beneficiaries can go to receive grains free of cost.
- Food and civil supplies of Delhi ordered for emergency provision of dry ration for the poor in addition to the rations being provided to PDS card holder as well as the distressed and destitute who do not have PDS card or Adhaar card. Under the scheme, each coupon will fetch a beneficiary 4 kg of rice, 1 kg of wheat and additional kits containing 1 kg refined oil, 1 kg chhole chana, 1 kg sugar, 1 kg salt, 200 gm haldi powder, 200 gm dhania powder, 200gm chilli powder and two soap bars (65-70gms).
- Under PMGKY, 5kg additional foodgrains per person per month announced by Delhi
Government for 3 months (April-June) over and above the NFSA entitlements to all beneficiaries covered under TPDS. This 5kg includes 4kg wheat and 1kg rice, and shall be available at all fair price shops. The allocation of 1kg pulses per household under PMGKY is made free on household count basis for AAY, PR-S(Old BPL) and Priority category identified under NFSA.
- Delhi Government has made arrangements for providing Jan Aahar to 500 people at each of the 56 government schools designated as hunger relief centres, through Mid-Day Meal vendors from 11 am - 5:30 pm daily. The prices for these meals are capped nominally at
Rs.20.
- West Bengal has taken steps in distributing ration of 2 kgs rice and 2 kgs potato (maximum @ Rs. 18) to each beneficiary of the Supplementary Nutrition Programme, irrespective of categories, up to 15 April, 2020. Food and Civil Supplies Department issued order that
AAY, SPHH, PHH and RKSY-1 category of ration card holders to get free rations from 1st
April to 30th September. RKSY-2 to get rice at ₹13/kg and wheat at ₹9/kg.
- Government of West Bengal has created an Emergency Relief Fund which would be used specifically to address the needs of people during unforeseen emergencies not related to natural disasters. This method would bring about crowd funding which may help the state government to have additional financial support system.
Measures for women, elderly, farmers and disabled : In the backdrop of COVID 19, few states had initiatives for marginalised communities such as women, elderly persons and differently abled.
- In Andhra Pradesh, a total of 8.78 lakh women SHGs will be benefitted with announcement of a sum of Rs 1,400 crore under the scheme zero interest rate in which each SHG will receive sums ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 towards the interest component on their loans.
- Karnataka High Court took cognizance of large number of cases of domestic violence and ordered the State to point out helplines available for victims in addition to the action taken on the basis of such complaints.
- Tamil Nadu Government announced a cash assistance of Rs. 1,500 per month to be credited into the bank accounts of differently-abled persons. - In furtherance of the Delhi High Court order dated 22.04.2020 in connection with a dedicated helpline for senior citizens, the Government of NCT of Delhi has directed that the helpline with number 1077 of Revenue Department, Govt of NCT of Delhi shall also function as the helpline for senior citizens for covid19.
- Government of Delhi has doubled the pension under the widow pension scheme for 2.5 lakh beneficiaries, old-age pension scheme for 5 lakh beneficiaries and disability pension scheme for 1 lakh beneficiaries.
Income/ employment supports: At the wake of the pandemic and subsequent lock down measures, a lot of people in different sector faced the challenges of income loss. Several initiatives were taken by the state governments in the form of one-time grant, cash assistance, employment generation etc.
- Health, Medical & Family Welfare (B2) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh issued order to all Government and Private establishments to pay full salaries for the period of lockdown to both permanent and contractual workers.
- Revenue (Disaster Management I) Department of Andhra Pradesh issued order towards sanctioning and releasing of an amount of Rs.1300.00 Crore (Rupees One thousand three hundred crore only) to the Commissioner of Rural Development towards sanction of Scale of Assistance to the all BPL Families in the State of Andhra Pradesh, whose lives are affected due to lockdown.
- Department of Labour, Government of Karnataka issued advisory regarding no termination of employees or deduction of wages due to closure/lockdown of establishments and paid leave of 28 days to employees infected with coronavirus.
- Chief Minister of Karnataka announced Rs. 5,000 for washer-men, auto-drivers, taxidrivers and barbers across the state. The Government of Karnataka issued order that employment to be provided to rural workers/ migrants under MGNREGA and that responsibilities are vested on Gram Panchayat to i) identify tasks appropriate for such workers and ii) provide job cards to those who do not have such cards after identifying them.
- Chief Minister of Karnataka announced Rs. 1,610 crore packages to rejuvenate economy post-lockdown, incentives and waivers regarding electricity bills for MSMEs, large scale industries and individual consumers.
- The Bombay High Court directed to the employees of contract labourers that if any contract labour is willing to work, but an employer is unable to assign work on account of
COVID, the principle of "no-work no-wages" will not apply. The Court, in this case, directed the employer to pay the contract labour full wages, not including food allowance and conveyance allowance for those who are not reporting for duty, for the month of March,
April and May, 2020.
- Maharashtra Government announced to provide an assistance of Rs 2,000 each to 12 lakh registered construction workers through direct benefit transfer scheme during Corona virus Lockdown, considering that there has been no work assigned to these registered (active) building Construction workers due to pandemic.
- Telangana Government declared one time income support of Rs.1500/- for ration card holders - amounting to Rs.1314 Crore and ordered for full wage payments to permanent and contractual workers for lockdown period.
- The employees of the Department of Medical and Health of Telangana were given an additional 10 per cent of their gross salary as an incentive for March and April. Similarly, the sanitation employees of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation were given
Rs.7500/- and the sanitation personnel of other local bodies were provided Rs.5000/- as incentives for the months of March and April.
- High Court of Judicature at Madras issued notice in plea to distribute cash benefits under various State and Central Government schemes to women account holders, farmers, old age and widow pensioners. A cash assistance of Rs 1,000 for all ration card holders through FPS, registered auto drivers and construction workers, members of Tamil Nadu
Cine Welfare Board, and match factory workers extended by the Tamil Nadu
Governments.
- Government of Bihar announced that the marginalized families who do not have ration card shall be identified through Jeevikasamuh and arrangements for payment of Rs.1000 to them shall be made. Also an amount of Rs.1000 will be deposited in the accounts of all ration-card holders but only after Aadhaar-seeding.
- The department of Panchayat and Rural Development in Jharkhand has sanctioned a net amount of Rs 101.51 crore for the development of 704 Gram Panchayat Bhawans under
MGNREGA and RGSA, in the newly constituted Gram Panchayats. In the Birsa Munda Harit
Gram Yojana, under MGNREGA, an honorarium of Rs.19,400, for 100 workdays, will be given to Bagwani Mitra appointed in every village for protection of plants and trees.
- Labour Commissioner of Jharkhand instructed for full wage payment for lockdown period for registered daily wage workers. On the other hand, Rural Department ordered to keep adequate shelf of works ready to provide employment immediately on demand.
- Delhi High Court has taken into consideration the existing situation of COVID 19 to highlight the loss of employment and daily source of income and has ordered that workers whose registration may have lapsed, and are subsequently renewed, would be in the same position as those whose registrations were valid, and to whom the ex gratia payments have been disbursed since March, 2020. Health and Family Welfare department issued order that workers including contract/outsourced/temporary were to be treated as "on duty" and paid in full during lockdown phases.
- Delhi Government decided to provide financial assistance of 5,000 to all daily wage labourers and construction workers. Delhi High Court Bar Association issued order to give ex gratia amount to young lawyer, lawyers who earn less than 6 lakh per annum and others who have undergone medical emergency with a maximum sum of Rs 10,000.
Measures for migrant labourers and daily wage earners: The hardest hit among all during the pandemic crisis had been the migrant labourers and daily wage earners who lost wages, livelihoods, shelters and stayed hungry for days together for not having cash in hands during lockdown. Many State Governments have instituted a number of steps to provide immediate relief to them, mainly in the form of providing night shelters, food and cash relief.
- With regard to the crisis situation faced by migrant population of the state, a Division
Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court directed that, i) the check posts established on the Highways in the State keep sufficient stock of food, good drinking water, oral dehydration salts and glucose packets, which should be supplied to the workers who are walking; ii) paramedical staff and ambulances must also be made available at these centres to tend to any person in need of medical attention; iii) patrol vehicles deployed by the National Highway Authority of India and the Police Department to be used to transport the workers facing difficulty; and iv) distributing the pamphlets in Hindi and
Telugu to inform the migrant workers of the nearest shelter homes.
- Chief Secretary of the State of Andhra Pradesh issued guideline for Inter-State movement of Migrant Workers, Agriculture Labour, Pilgrims, Tourists, Students and other persons stranded at different places. The guideline also stated that the Government would bear
the cost of travelling till destination by trains for migrants who are currently taking shelter in relief camps.
- To ameliorate the conditions of migrant workers, Karnataka High Court ordered State government to ensure that the process of facilitating the transport of migrant workers is done smoothly and also specify whether workers permitted to travel from one district to another are subjected to medical testing. The court issued guideline that the Zonal Joint
Commissioners (“ZJC”) with the help of marshals and KSTDC buses would identify migrants, homeless and other people who are on the roads without food. These people then would be respectfully picked up and taken to nearest hostels declared as relief centres and provided with proper accommodation, health care and food.
- The chief Minister of Karnataka announced that the State Government would provide free transport facilities to stranded persons within Karnataka on KSRTC buses till 5 May 2020 and that "One-time, two-way pass" to be issued to stranded individuals instead of "one way, one time one day pass" for inter-district travel within Karnataka.
- Karnataka High Court directs the State Government to place on record in what manner it intends to arrange for operation of special trains for the benefit of migrants. In says that in case of complaints received by the State that some contractors or employers are confining the migrant workers to their shelters and are not permitting them to go to their respective home States, the State Government will have to attend to such complaints. The
Court further directs that the policy of the State Government should take care of all categories of migrant workers irrespective of the fact whether they are in their own shelters or in shelters provided by their employers or shelters provided by the State or whether they are on streets.
- Regarding Shramik special trains Karnataka High Court pointed out that the State which arranges the train is expected to pay the train fare in cases because considering the constitutional rights of the migrant workers, no one should be deprived of an opportunity to go back to his own State only for the reason that he has no capacity to pay for the transport.
- Bombay High Court took stock of "unfathomable hardships" caused to labourers during the lockdown directs the State of Maharashtra to make arrangement for stay, food, sanitation clothing and health care of the labourers, working class including migrant labourers in need of these provisions.
- To provide shelter for migrant workers before sending them to their respective locations, Maharashtra Government directed that Schools to be used as shelter homes for migrant workers. High Court of Bombay Nagpur Bench directed the District Collectors, Council Authorities and the Police Commissioners in Maharashtra to form special teams to monitor highways and arrange transport till the state border for migrant workers and others attempting to walk home. These authorities will request buses from the
Maharashtra State Road Transportation Corporation for safe transportation of these migrant workers.
- In the light of the difficulties faced by stranded persons, the Telangana State Human Rights
Commission advised the State Government to give necessary instructions to all District
Collectors to immediately identify and classify all stranded persons and arrange ‘Shramik
Special Trains’. - Telangana High Court directed the State Government to evolve a comprehensive policy to deal with the migrant workers, both presently, as well as to deal with migrant workers even in future, considering the fact that a disaster can strike the state, or the nation unannounced.
- Tamil Nadu e-pass portal has been operationalised. 'Return of Stranded People' has been added as a category. Nodal Officer have been appointed to monitor the movement of stranded persons and the issue of e-pass.
- Chief Minister of Bihar announced arrangement for Temporary residences for people of
Bihar who are coming from other states; opening of additional relief centres where needed with provision for food, healthcare and shelter; provisioning of ₹100 crore fund for relief, shelters and healthcare for stranded migrants. Bihar government also ordered to provide flood relief camps, utensils, clothes and milk in disaster relief centres and that the cook in relief camps will be provided with funds.
- Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD) of Jharkhand issued order towards appointment of officials to ensure accommodation, sanitation, and other facilities for
Jharkhandi migrants stuck in Delhi. This is devised with the objective that ideally the migrant workers should not be travelling in these times and must be provided adequate social security to sustain in the destination states.
- Delhi High Court ordered not to charge train or bus fares from any migrant worker and it would be borne by state or centre; State shall take responsibilities of providing meal and water to all the workers either through bus or train or in camps on the way; State/UT shall provide migrant workers on foot with vehicle for journey hence forth or sent to relief camp with provision of food and water; State shall provide workers good health screening facility and other facilites free of cost. Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) issued directions to ensure that no migrant is walking on road in case found in such condition, they should be counseled, taken to nearby shelters and provided with food and water till they are facilitated to board trains.
- The West Bengal government has decided to introduce a new scheme, named, SNEHER
PARAS, for financial assistance to the migrant workers who are residents of West Bengal and are stranded in different parts of the country. Rs 1000 will also be provided to these workers under this scheme. The applicant needs to provide details of either or
Khadyasathi Number or EPIC Number or Aadhaar Number to prove that the worker is a resident of West Bengal.
Measures related to health and protective measures for health workers: The actual fight against the pandemic was directly faced by the frontline health workers managing patients in the hospitals, handling infectious dead bodies, managing wastes, arranging facilities and equipment to deal with the diseases, among others. The State’s responsibility was to protect and incentivise these frontline health workers, i.e, doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, sanitation workers and others.
- Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh under Dr. YSR Arogyasri Scheme, listed public and private hospitals which will treat 15 procedures for Covid-19 patients free of cost; All asymptomatic, home quarantine patients can get tested anywhere and should not be turned away. The government fixed a total sum of 2400 Rupees payable for the testing of samples forwarded by the government and a sum of 2900 Rupees payable by persons who directly approach such approved labs for their testing.
- Directorate of Health and Family Welfare services in Karnataka issued detailed guidelines for providing maternity services in Karnataka state under 5 parameters listed: ANC services, Delivery services, Postpartum care and Family Planning and Safe Abortion
Services. The guideline prohibits discrimination on any ground stating that nop health center or hospital to decline emergency maternity services to any pregnant women.
- Maharashtra Government ordered Free treatment for any covid 19 positive individual.
Payment according to Ayushman Bharat norms. The Maharashtra High Court also issued order that a person who is suffering from the disease like covid-19 is not expected to produce a Tehsildar certificate or certificate from Social Welfare Officer before seeking admission in the hospital.
- Bombay High Court ordered to pay Social Health Activists (ASHA) an amount of Rs 200 per day instead of Rs 1000 per month, which is presently being paid.
- Telangana High Court ordered State Government to ensure that in the shelter homes housing the pregnant women, lactating mothers, children and elderly persons, medical facilities are provided for their medical health issues on a daily basis.
- Revenue and Disaster Management Department of Tamilnadu ordered provision of PPE for workers belonging to Health and Family Welfare, Revenue and Disaster Management,
Police, Sanitary and Conservancy employees if Rural/Urban local bodies who are involved in Covid-19 prevention. The order mentioned that in case any staff contract Covid-19, treatment expenditure and ex gratia of 2 lakhs to be provided to each staff.
- Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Delhi issued order for doctors, paramedics, nurses and support staff working in Covid-19 facilities, including hospitals, health centers, quarantine centers and test centers to be provided hotel accommodation.
Measures related to child nutrition: With closure of schools and Anganwadi Centres, nutrition for children from poor and marginalised communities was at stake. Children in primary and secondary schools missed provision of cooked food under Mid Day Meal due to lock down.
- Karnataka High Court directed State Government to decide if regular functioning of anganwadis can be commenced in green zones.
- Maharashtra Government ordered that cost of Mid Day Meal are to be deposited in the bank accounts of families whose children are in primary and upper primary, during the lock down period and summer vacation.
- Tribal Welfare Department, Maharashtra issued directives to resume home delivery of cooked food for pregnant, lactating women and children between the age of 7 months to six years, supply of eggs and bananas to week children in tribal areas under the Bharat
Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna of ICDS.
- Education department of Bihar announced that the schools which serve Mid-day meals shall transfer money in accounts of students or guardians before 31st march 2020.
Initiatives on education: With the central government’s announcement on school closure, a number children enrolled in primary and secondary schools are affected. In line with central government’s order, state governments also ordered for school closure and cancellation of examination with stress in shifting school system into virtual classrooms sessions.
