Druk Gyalpo’s Relief Kidu granted Nu 150M in its first disbursement to 13,006 beneficiaries yesterday.
The beneficiaries are those whose livelihoods have been directly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering said that the first batch of recipients was screened from among 18,880 people who had applied for the Kidu from April 14 to April 23.
Recipients of full Kidu will get Nu 12,000 a month while partial Kidu recipients will get Nu 8,000 a month. An additional support of Nu 800 per child per month will also be granted to eligible beneficiaries with children. The Kidu will be provided for three months from April till June 2020.
The Prime Minister said that it will be critical for the recipients to actively seek employment opportunities. And to this end, the government, in partnership with the private sector, will facilitate the creation of employment opportunities for affected people. The government will also expedite and accelerate the implementation of the reprioritized activities of the 12th Plan.
As of yesterday, more than 20,000 people from across the country had applied for the Relief Kidu. The assessment for the remaining applicants is underway. A dedicated cell has also been established under the Prime Minister’s Office to attend to follow-ups and clarifications from the applicants.
Meanwhile, upon the command of His Majesty The King, interest waiver facility has been extended to non-performing loan accounts as well from April till June 2020.
In a Royal Address to the nation on April 10, His Majesty commanded the setting up of Druk Gyalpo’s Relief Kidu for Bhutanese directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tshering Dendup
