COVID-19: Rahul wants big financial package, Sonia extraordinary steps
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (March 21) called for immediate steps to revive the country’s economy and said there was a need for a big financial package, including tax breaks and direct cash transfers, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (March 21) called for immediate steps to revive the country’s economy and said there was a need for a big financial package, including tax breaks and direct cash transfers, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
He pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic was a serious attack on India’s fragile economy and took pot shots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for beating of “thalis” in the honour of those working to contain the spread of the virus.
Rahul Gandhi said clapping would not help the daily wage workers and small and medium entrepreneurs.
Former Congress chief took to Twitter to express the same and said, “The Coronavirus is a sledgehammer blow to our brittle economy. Small and medium businesses and daily wage earners are the worst hit. Clapping won’t help them. Only a massive economic package that includes direct cash transfers, tax breaks and a moratorium on loan repayments will.”
He said India must take cognisance of global practices and act accordingly, also citing measures taken by other countries as well as stimulus packages announced by them to boost the economy and to support the virus-hit sectors.
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He called upon the COVID-19 Economic Response Task Force to announce compensation packages for daily wage earners and the unorganised sector, besides industries like aviation, hospitality, animal husbandry and the banking sector.
Rahul Gandhi said while various countries had already announced stimulus packages, India was yet to announce one.
Sonia appeals for calm
Meanwhile, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday urged people not to panic about the pandemic and called upon the government to take steps including stepping up testing facilities and a comprehensive relief package for the affected due to the economic fallout of the virus.
She said the country will not bow down to this painful crisis and suggested a comprehensive, sector-wise relief package was required to be announced by the government to support those hit by its economic fallout.
In a statement, the Congress chief urged the prime minister and the Centre to increase the number of testing facilities across the country and make public the details of hospitals and medical facilities through a dedicated portal.
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She also pitched for a special budgetary allocation for enhancing the facilities to combat the virus.
“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. A comprehensive, sector-wise relief package needs to be announced forthwith by the government, including necessary tax breaks, interest subvention and deferment of liabilities. For the salaried class, the government and the RBI must consider a deferment of EMIs,” the Congress chief said.
She called for special financial incentives for those manufacturing protective gear to combat the virus and said COVID-19 was a huge setback for millions of daily wage earners, MGNREGA workers, ad-hoc and temporary employees, labourers, farmers and those in the unorganised sector.
“Even for regular employees, reports suggest massive layoffs and retrenchments. The government has to put in place broad-based social protection measures, including direct cash financial help to these sections,” she said.
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The Congress chief noted that all businesses, especially the micro, small and medium ones, were under a huge stress on account of the coronavirus outbreak.
Sonia Gandhi said COVID-19 has also impacted the biggest employment generator – the agriculture sector – and farmers, cultivators and farm labourers are bearing the brunt.
“Government must consider a special relief package for the agriculture sector also,” she said. She said precaution and prevention are amongst the most effective remedies as she appealed to all fellow citizens to stay at home, unless urgency and exigencies demand otherwise.
Sonia Gandhi noted that there is uncertainty and lack of information about number of beds, isolation chambers, ventilators, dedicated medical teams, medical supplies, including their location.
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This information including location of each hospital and their emergency phone line numbers should be publicly shared, she said. She said reports suggest scarcity of Personal Protection Equipments (PPEs) including N95 masks, gloves, face shields, goggles, head covers, rubber boots and disposable gowns for medical teams engaged in dealing with infected or those suspected to be infected with coronavirus.
Equally alarming, Sonia Gandhi said, are reports that there is artificial shortages and black marketing of hand sanitizers, face masks and even liquid soap. “It is the bounden duty of the Government to ensure adequate supply and take corrective action. What is more unnerving is the fact that prices of essential commodities like vegetables, pulses, rice, seem to be rising unchecked daily,” Gandhi noted.
(With inputs from agencies)
