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Refrain from using Covid-19 crisis for personal political gains: Opposition parties to Centre
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said the like-minded parties believe that this is neither the time for showmanship nor the one-upmanship.
Leaders of 22 opposition parties on Friday decided to submit to a 10-point charter of demands to the Centre, urging it to refrain from using the Covid-19 crisis for personal political gains, activate parliamentary institutions such as standing committees and provide financial help to states.
The meeting, chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately reach out to all the political parties in a systematic manner, engage them in a dialogue with listen seriously to their suggestions to deal with the health and economic crisis triggered by the deadly coronavirus.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said the like-minded parties believe that this is neither the time for showmanship nor the one-upmanship. “This is the time for a collective endeavour to bring India out of this crisis. This is what the people of India need and this is what the people of India demand,” he added.
Pawar said the opposition parties are collectively going to raise a ten- point demand to the Centre for immediate implementation.
“Refrain from using the crisis for personal political gain, activate parliamentary institutions like standing committees and be genuine in helping the states financially and otherwise,” he said.
Pawar stressed the need to take the right steps to gradually restore road transport within the states and plan for resumption of air and rail services that were disrupted by the lockdown.
“New policies for encouraging industrial growth should be incorporated to attract new investment in the states. To increase imports, exports and inland shipping, consultations should be held with industrialists, entrepreneurs and expert officials in the field,” he added.
“The number of students will decline for the next academic year due to the lockdown. Some educational institutions are likely to collapse or close down due to financial losses. A study group or committee should be appointed to take timely measures,” the former union minister said.
Pawar said the state governments are relaxing the conditions of lockdown but factories are not in a position to resume as workers have migrated to the villages.
“We need to strategise to bring them back,” he said.
Earlier, the opposition parties urged the Centre to immediately declare the devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan in Odisha and West Bengal as a national calamity and called for substantially helping the two states in facing the impact of the disaster.
The leaders passed a resolution in this regard and said relief and rehabilitation should be the topmost priority at this juncture.
“We, the opposition parties, extend our sympathy and support to the governments and people of West Bengal and Odisha in meeting the impact of the devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan,” it said.
The resolution said a natural calamity like Cyclone Amphan has come as a double blow to the states amid the coronavirus pandemic, breaking the spirits of people.
“Opposition parties, therefore, urge the central government to immediately declare this as a national calamity and substantially help the states in facing the impact of this disaster,” it added.
The resolution said the people of Odisha and West Bengal urgently need the support and solidarity of the governments and citizens of the country.
Relief and rehabilitation should be the topmost priority at this juncture, it further said, adding the possibility of an outbreak of other diseases as a result of the calamity must also not be ignored.
“We, the opposition parties, call upon the central government to provide urgent help to our fellow citizens/countrymen,” it said.
The leaders also conveyed their deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives due to the cyclone.
“We express our solidarity and sympathies with the pain of those who have suffered other losses. The country and its people are already in the midst of a grim struggle for survival combating the Covid-19 pandemic,” they said.
