Mysore/Mysuru: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Mysuru Revenue Division COVID-19 Task Force Committee has urged the Government to come to the rescue of distressed farmers and the poor who are facing a lot of hardship following the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown.

The Committee submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar at his office here on Saturday.

The memorandum urged the Government to remit Rs.5,000 each to the bank accounts of farmers, workers from the unorganised sector and Jan Dhan account holders, directly purchase all farm products and to distribute additional 10 kg rice, 5kg wheat and 3 kg dal to BPL card holders.

The Committee also wanted the Government to announce a special package for MSME sector and all workers coming under the sector, to ensure that all employees working in the private sector get wages for the months of April and May and to see that all public sector banks follow the Central Government directions regarding deferment of loans.

Speaking on the occasion, the Task Force Committee Chairman and former Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy said that the Committee studied the COVID-19 scenario in the eight districts coming under Mysuru Revenue Division – Mysuru, Kodagu, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Chikkamagalur, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi – following which a report was prepared based on the findings of the study. This report highlights the lapses of the Government, he said and added that the report also has several valuable suggestions to the Government for better handling COVID-19 lockdown situation.

The Committee also wanted the Government to ask private clinics and hospitals which have remained shut due to lockdown, to reopen immediately and provide healthcare services to the people as non-COVID-19 patients are finding it difficult to get treatment for their ailments.

Former Chamarajanagar MP R. Dhruvanarayan, MLAs Dr. Yathindra Siddharamaiah and H.P. Manjunath, MLC R. Dharmasena, former MLAs Vasu and M.K. Somashekhar, District Congress President Dr. B.J. Vijaykumar, City President R. Murthy and others were present.