India, France sign 200 million euros agreement to fight Covid-19

NEW DELHI: France and India have signed an agreement under which both of the countries would be committing 200 million euros in a bid to increase the state and central government’s capacities to support the most vulnerable people in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. According to a statement by the French Embassy in India, the agreement was signed by C S Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and Bruno Bosle, Director, AFD (French Development Agency) in India, in the virtual presence of Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India.

The program design has been developed by the World Bank, in collaboration with Indian authorities, and seeks to optimize and scale up the Indian government’s existing social protection measures. The Agreement is focused on boosting the recently launched Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY) and to provide other benefits to low income families so that the health, social and economic shocks arising from Covid-19 do not endanger people’s well being or jeopardise their contribution to the overall growth of the Indian economy in the long run. Under the programme, the government will also ensure better safety of frontline workers, particularly those working in healthcare, sanitation and security services, by providing them with a state-sponsored health insurance. Social assistance programmes will also be set up for low income urban families and migrant workers who will be unable to avail services and benefits of the PMGKY.

Lanain, while recalling France’s approach to handling global catastrophes through multilateral cooperation, said that both President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have worked together tirelessly so that excellent relations between India and France translate into an outstanding response against COVID-19.