The lockdown and mandatory work from home for employees has resulted in a very tough financial situation for many people the country. Not just for daily wage labourers but even employees whose company might not be paying them for this time.
Many citizens of the country are worried about how they will be able to see the basic and daily expenses especially with the whole family at home. Groceries, food items, gas, fruits, etc. have all increased in consumption and it is a very real problem for many on how they will ensure that these needs are met.
In order to help out during this time of crisis, the Rural Development Ministry decided to give Rs. 500 to women account holders of Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).
The Ministry said that the amount would be transferred automatically to those accounts with even Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman having had confirmed this on 26th March that women PMJDY account holders would be given Rs. 500 for the next three months as per the PM Garib Kalyan Package.
Doordarshan, an autonomous public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India had been posting video clips of women getting this money and their reaction to it on their official Twitter handle.
However, it seems that the reaction other netizens gave to this was much different than expected.
Twitter’s Reaction To It
Apparently, a lot of people raised questions on how authentic this was and how ‘needy’ the people who’d gotten the amount really were:
A woman with a fire extinguisher in the house is pretending she is needy. Whoever was appointed to do marketing and PR for the Modi government for this should be sacked for making the government look foolish and unaware! https://t.co/peQHIPOGUy
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) April 17, 2020
So much so that ‘Rs. 500’ was even trending for a majority of today.
https://twitter.com/ProsaicView/status/1250962264116486145
https://twitter.com/i_theindian/status/1251078587920166912
I am thankful to Government for their help in the time of crisis as I have received Rs 500 through Jandhan Yojna.#GareebKalyanForCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/ohFpgiakty
— Aisi Taisi Democracy (@AisiTaisiDemo) April 17, 2020
https://twitter.com/DaaruBaazMehta/status/1251106077376016386
Who are these 'poor' people getting Rs 500 and going ga ga over it? Has the definition of poor changed? Come on DD, apply your mind. @PrakashJavdekar, your propaganda needs more finesse. https://t.co/smvB3y7P78
— Sandeep Kaul | संदीप कौल | サンデエパ | سندیپ کول (@sk4ul) April 17, 2020
https://twitter.com/Nehr_who/status/1251083066367291392
Hats off to Modiji for identifying such poorest of the poor and giving them Rs 500. https://t.co/LEpqypvR2j
— Lt Cdr Gokul (R) (@gokulchan) April 17, 2020
Yes DD news, I totally believe this woman's lifestyle is the kind that depends on Rs 500/- from the prime minister's fund.
— Vidya (@VidyaKrishnan) April 17, 2020
She probably used that money to buy that lock for her fancy door of her extremely sad looking hut. https://t.co/2860HcRGTI
https://twitter.com/Vishj05/status/1251079729072881669
Dear DD people, you should have chosen a better actress, who indeed looked poverty-stricken to justify the ‘gratitude’ for Rs 500. https://t.co/EUaxsGhSL9
— Rifat Jawaid (@RifatJawaid) April 17, 2020
https://twitter.com/kabirazad2017/status/1251074839701368832
Many people alleged the government of not helping the actually needy and poor people who reportedly had to stand in line for hours to get their money.
There are many stories of people having been helped by this scheme, however, perhaps some measures need to be taken to show those people instead of ones who are looking well-off otherwise too.
Read More: What Makes Delhi’s Operation SHIELD So Successful In Containing Coronavirus?
Rumours And Other Issues With The Program
Besides this, the funding also had some other problems, one of them being a rumour that if the money was not withdrawn immediately then it would be removed from the account.
However, the FM did clear up these doubts by stating that no such thing would happen and people can withdraw the money any time. In a tweet she clarified that, “We would like to assure that money deposited under the Jan Dhan accounts are safe. The account holder can withdraw the money from the bank branch or ATM at any time. Don’t believe any rumour about the safety of the money.”
This rumour had actually led to a panic among people who had taken position outside banks in extremely long queues while trying to withdraw their money.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Free Press Journal, Bloomberg
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