Paswan urges states to ensure uninterrupted supply of grains amid COVID-19 outbreak

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan urged the states to ensure uninterrupted supply of the grains to the common people. He said the states can take the stock of foodgrains from Food Corporation of India (FCI). This comes after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced a number of relief measures for consumers and the corporate sector in the wake of the novel Coronavirus crisis. 

Paswan further lauded the decision taken by the government to permit the states and union territories to take foodgrain on a three-month credit and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for giving approval to his proposal.

The minister took to Twitter to express his gratitude. His tweet in Hindia read as: "I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for extending support to the states and giving three-month credit for lifting foodgrains from the stocks of Food Corporation of India (FCI)."

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FM Nirmala Sitharaman Announces Relief Measures For Consumers And Corporates

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a number of relief measures for consumers and the corporate sector in the wake of the novel Coronavirus crisis. The measures included extending the last date to file income tax returns and composition returns to June 30, making customs clearance an essential service, relaxing the mandatory requirement of board meetings for a period of 60 days and so forth. Furthermore, she stated that the Centre would unveil a financial relief package very soon. 

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India witness a surge in COVID-19 cases 

According to the latest figure available on Tuesday, India has so far reported 505 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus, entailing a 79-patient increase over 24 hours. 10 people have so far died from COVID-19.

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