New Delhi, Aug 23 : Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has acknowledged the government's decision to extend the unemployment benefit scheme 'Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna' till June next year in the wake of the pandemic. In a statement on Sunday, AEPC Chairman, A. Sakthivel noted that the extension of the scheme, the relaxation of the existing eligibility conditions and enhancement of the amount of relief for workers, who lost their job during the pandemic, will be extremely helpful for the workers to sail through the crisis. "We note with gratitude the important relaxation in the criteria such as enhancement of payment of relief to 50 per cent of average of wages from earlier 25 per cent of average wages and payable up to maximum 90 days of unemployment, and becoming due for payment after 30 days instead of the earlier period of 90 days," the AEPC Chairman said. On Friday, Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar also said that claims for payment of unemployment benefit under its Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana run by the ESIC will be settled within 15 days from the date of the application. /IANS