‘PM gave a headline and a blank page on Rs.20 lakh cr Covid-19 economic package: Chidambaram

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 13, 2020: Former finance minister and senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram on Wednesday reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of releasing Rs 20 lakh crore as an economic stimulus package for the country amid the coronavirus crisis.

Chidambaram said that he looks forward to learning the details of the stimulus package which will be made public by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as to Hindustan Times.

 

The Congress leader said that in yesterday’s announcement, the prime minister gave a “headline” and a “blank page”, suggesting that no details of the package were conveyed and much was left for speculation. 

“Yesterday, PM gave us a headline and a blank page. Naturally, my reaction was a blank!” Chidambaram tweeted.

He added that every “additional rupee that the government will actually infuse into the economy” will be carefully counted. What the package offers to the poor, migrants workers will also be carefully examined, Chidambaram said.

“We will also carefully examine who gets what? And the first thing we will look for is what the poor, hungry and devastated migrant workers can expect after they have walked hundreds of kilometres to their home states,” he tweeted.

Earlier this week, Chidambaram welcomed Centre’s move to start operating some passenger trains from May 12 amid the coronavirus lockdown. “The same modest opening should be started with road transport and air transport,” Chidambaram said in a tweet.

PM Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, said that the stimulus package is roughly around 10% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and will infuse vigour into the economy amid the Covid-19 crisis. PM’s announcement came a day after his marathon meet via video-conference with various chief ministers.