Finance Ministry on Monday held a review meeting with the heads of public sector banks, and instructed them to extend all possible help to all sectors of the economy within prudential guidelines to tide over crisis following Covid-19 outbreak and consequent lockdown.
The review meeting — held via video conference — reviewed banks functioning during the lockdown and also took stock of liquidity situation, sources said. The ministry asked the banks to devise strategy for the post lockdown period and readiness for meeting the future challenges. The two-hour long meeting took stock of disbursement of financial assistance through direct benefit transfer (DBT) under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to help poor and daily wagers to sustain during the lockdown triggered by outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
As part of the Rs 1.70 lakh crore relief package, the Government announced cash doles to women, poor senior citizens and farmers to mitigate the hardships faced due to the lockdown.