"For the people that are now out of work because of the important and necessary containment policies, for instance the shutting down of hotels, bars and restaurants, money will soon be coming to you. The onslaught of the Chinese Virus is not your fault! Will be stronger than ever!" Donald Trump today said, assuring Americans of a direct cash benefit transfer to tide over the Coronavirus-driven crisis.

Should India, too, save its daily labourers, low-income groups, construction workers, etc? Many are going to lose jobs because of the COVID-19 slowdown.

Some experts are of the view that the Modi government has to transfer monies to the bank accounts of the poor in order to save them from hunger, poverty and economic collapse. Says columnist Harsh Gupta, "The government and RBI have to wake up. Now is the time to loosen purse strings, increase credit/cash transfers. This is serious, people will die. Not just because of the virus but because of the economic stress. Do not throw away the good work because of this indecisiveness. The emergency is now. Not in the future. Because anything you do or decide will anyway take time to percolate. And the virus is spreading exponentially. If we are wrong and we are saved somehow by the pandemic we can count our lucky stars and reverse the stimulus. Ex ante act now."

A commentator recently suggested that at least Rs 3,000 should be transferred to all poor families in the country. "It's possible to do it. Increase also the benefits under the PM-KISAN scheme," an analyst recently said.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has assured financial help to those wage-earners who will be left without work because of COVID-19.