Making the poor pay

The lockdown imposed on the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic has put many vulnerable communities across the country at risk. To ease some of the pain, the government announced a relief package. One of the benefits under the package was that women with bank accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) would get INR 500 per month for three months—April to June 2020.

In Bhind, 39 women were going to the bank to collect their relief amount. On the way, the police caught them for violating the lockdown and not practising physical distancing, and jailed them. They let the women go the next morning, only after having paid a bond of INR 1000.

Arun Kumar is CEO at Apnalaya.