COVID-19: Kerala's Rs 20,000 crore package to protect the state’s economy from novel coronavirus

Kerala has come up with a package worth Rs 20,000 crore to protect the state’s economy from the slowdown caused by COVID-19. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that:

The state will spend Rs 100 crore to provide all families including those above the poverty line with 10 kgs of cereals.

Loans worth Rs 2,000 crore would be disbursed to the needy through Kudumbashree, an all-women network.

Social security pensions that were due in April and May 2020 will be disbursed to five million people in March itself.

Those without a social security pension will be given Rs 1,000 each at the cost of Rs 100 crore to the exchequer.

People can pay their power and water bills a month late.

While cinema halls have been kept exempt from entertainment tax.

It will open 1,000 low-cost outlets that will serve food at Rs 20.

Kerala has the second-most number of COVID-19 cases after Maharashtra.