Reach out to daily wage earners, ensure their livelihood: Former ISRO chief to government

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The government has to ensure the livelihood of the people and immediately reach out to daily wage-earners who have been severely affected by the lockdown imposed to combat coronavirus, eminent space scientist G Madhavan Nair said on Wednesday.

"One thing which the government has to take up on a war-footing is ensuring the livelihood for the people...bulk of the people, may be 30 per cent of the people...they may be living on what they earn daily," the former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman told PTI.

Their earning avenues have been blocked following the lockdown, he said.

"You have to provide them, either by material, or cash...the compensation, and reach them immediately.There is no point in delaying and giving them. There is no point in giving through intermediaries also. Directly reach the beneficiaries.

How fast we can do this and how efficiently we do this, that is going to be a real issue," Nair added.

He said the government has taken a very proactive step by announcing lockdowns and other measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

"Certainly it's going to break the chain. It's very much needed in a country like ours," Nair said.

"We have to tighten our belts to face economic consequences," the space scientist said, adding that the economy would recover once the situation returned to normalcy and there was no need to worry too much.

"I am more concerned about the people in the daily wages category," he added.