‘Responsive government’: Nirmala Sitharaman on PM’s self-reliant pitch

The intention, said the FM, is to take local brands and bring them to a global level. Dismissing concerns it is a step towards protectionism or insularity in trade relations, the FM said it will push India to reach out to a wider world.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, speaking through her face mask, at a press conference on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comprehensive vision about atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) was firmed up after wide and deep consultations with several sections of the society.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman. (ANI photo)

“To spur growth and build a self-reliant India and that’s why this whole initiative is called atmanirbhar Bharat abhiyaan,” said Sitharaman.

For the ease of citizens south of Vindhyas, the FM spelled out atmanirbhar in the four South Indian languages.

The intention, said the FM, is to take local brands and bring them to a global level. Dismissing concerns it is a step towards protectionism or insularity in trade relations, the FM said it will push India to reach out to a wider world.

This is a responsive government, underlined Nirmala Sitharamam naming several scheme launched to help the citizens and the poor.

Detailing the scope of the economic package, the FM said the government has announced Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans for businesses, including MSMEs.

In a novel step, the FM said, the MSME definition has undergone a change with investment limit and turnover size revised upwards.

All outstanding payment of MSMEs owed by government willl be cleared within the next 45 days, added the FM.

In his address to the nation PM Modi had pushed for an “atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India)” and announced an economic stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore.

“This package will give a new impetus to the development journey of the country in 2020 and a new direction to the Self-reliant India campaign. In order to prove the resolve of a self-reliant India, land, labor, liquidity and laws all have been emphasised in this package,” said the PM.

Modi said important decisions will be announced in the economic package for every section like the poor, migrant labourers, cattle rearers, fishermen, organized sector or unorganized sector.

The PM also highlighted that the coronavirus will remain a part of our lives for a long time but cautioned that we cannot allow our lives to be confined only around it. “We would wear masks, follow two yards distance and pursue our goals,” he emphasised.