Monday, 08 November 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
The transport department has received a total of 6,549 new applications from transporters across the state to be the beneficiary in the second phase of the monthly aid programme of the Uttarakhand government. Under this programme, the department aims to provide the monthly monetary aid of Rs 2,000 each for the next six months to the transporters like drivers, conductors and cleaners whose livelihood was affected due to the Covid curfew imposed earlier this year. The transporters associated with Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) are not eligible to be the beneficiaries of this scheme.
In the first phase of the programme, the department marked a total of 36,100 eligible beneficiaries that ended on September 5. The department has issued the first instalment to about 31,000 beneficiaries while the remaining were asked to apply again with correct bank account details. However, the deputy transport commissioner Sanat Kumar Singh said that these applications are not being included in the data of the new applications received in the second phase by the department. He informed that the department has received a total of 6,549 applications out of which, the department has approved about 3,000 applications. So far, the department has approved about 2,500 applications of drivers, 75 applications of conductors and 228 applications of cleaners. Singh said that the transport officials are verifying the applications of the potential beneficiaries in their respective areas. He said that after the verification process completes in a few days, the department will release the funds for the new beneficiaries this month.
On the question of whether the department will commence the third phase of this programme, the commissioner said that most of the eligible beneficiaries have applied to the department and there is hardly any beneficiary left. However, he added, the department might start the third phase if eligible applicants failed to apply on the first two phases.
