New Delhi, April 14: A message claiming that money transferred to bank accounts under PM Garib Kalyan Yojna will be taken back by the government if not withdrawn is being circulated widely on social media platforms. Under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojna, announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier this month, the government is providing cash to women and poor senior citizens and farmers to mitigate the hardships faced due to the lockdown. More Than 32 Crore Poor Get Rs 29,352 Crore Aid Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana.

As the message went viral on WhatsApp, many rushed to banks amid the ongoing lockdown to withdraw the money. Therefore, the government on Monday issued a clarification, dismissing the viral post as a rumour. It made it clear that even if the money credited under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojna is not withdrawn, it won't be taken back. "This is a baseless rumour. Money will not be taken back from accounts," read a tweet by the Press Information Bureau. Can High Temperatures Prevent Coronavirus Infection? PIB Debunks Fake News About COVID-19.

PIB Clarification:

Sitharaman had announced a relief package of Rs 1,70,000 crore for poor who are facing hardships during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. She had announced Rs 2000 for farmers and Rs 500 for women who have Jan Dhan accounts, among other benefits. According to the government, more than 32 crore people have received Rs 29,352 crore financial assistance as part of the relief package.

As of April 13, 2020, the government said, 32.32 crore beneficiaries have been directly given cash support through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) amounting to Rs 29,352 crore under the package. "So far 20.11 lakh MT of food grains have been lifted by 31 States/UTs out of 40 lakh MT for April. 2.65 lakh MT has been distributed by 16 States/UTs to 5.29 crore beneficiaries covered by 1.19 crore ration cards as April 2020 entitlement. 3985 MT of pulses have also been dispatched to various states/UTs," it said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 14, 2020 01:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).