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‘What after May 17?’: Sonia Gandhi seeks answer from Centre
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first announced the 21-day nationwide lockdown to contain the deadly coronavirus disease from March 25 to April 14. The restrictions were first extended till May 3 and then further extended till May 17.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday asked the central government to spell out its strategy whether it will lift or continue with the nationwide lockdown on May 17.
“What after May 17? What criteria is the government using to judge how long the lockdown will continue?” she said in her opening remarks at a video-conferencing of the party’s chief ministers and senior leaders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first announced the 21-day nationwide lockdown to contain the deadly coronavirus disease from March 25 to April 14. The restrictions were first extended till May 3 and then further extended till May 17.
The Congress president also thanked the farmers, particularly of Punjab and Haryana, for ensuring food security due to the bumper wheat crop despite all odds.
Addressing the meeting, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “We need to know, as Soniaji said, what will happen after the lockdown 3.0?. The CMs need to deliberate and ask as to what is the strategy of the government of India to get the country out of lockdown?”
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said the central piece of strategy to fight Covid-19 is to protect the elderly and those who are diabetic and with heart conditions.
The meeting comes days after Gandhi announced that her party will pay for the train travel of stranded migrant workers, a move that triggered a slugfest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The opposition party accused the government of being insensitive to the plight of stranded migrant workers while the BJP claimed that railways was bearing 85% of the fare cost, and state governments had to pay 15%, thus allowing migrants to go back home free of cost.
On his part, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh said his government has set up two committees to strategise – one on how to come out of the lockdown and other on suggesting ways and means for the economic revival.
“Our concern is the people sitting in Delhi are deciding on classification of zones without knowing what is happening on the ground,” he said.
His Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot demanded financial assistance from the Centre to states to sustain the impact of the Covid-19.
“Until an extensive stimulus package is given, how will states and the country run? We have lost Rs 10,000 crore of revenue. States have repeatedly requested the Prime Minister for a financial package but we are yet to hear from the Centre,” he said.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said states are facing an acute economic crisis and need immediate financial assistance.
“Chhattisgarh is one state where 80% of small industries have restarted and nearly 85,000 workers have returned to work,” he claimed.
His Puducherry counterpart V Narayanasamy said the Centre is deciding on zones without consulting the states. “This is creating an anomalous situation. People sitting in Delhi cannot tell the states, No state or chief minister is consulted. Why? The Prime Minister is not saying a word on the economic package for states,” he said.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram said states are bleeding in terms of finances but no money is being allocated by the Centre. “The media too has brought out the unavailability of finances with states,” he added.
For his part, former union minister M Veerappa Moily said the strategy to declare the lockdown or coming out of it has not been stated at all by the Prime Minister.
