New Delhi: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday urged the Centre to prepare and publish a Common Minimum Relief Programme, stating that it will alleviate several concerns of people triggered due to the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.
She asserted that the “magnitude of the challenge before us is daunting” but everyone’s resolve to overcome it must be greater.
Highlighting the vulnerability of the middle class during the COVID-19 lockdown, she said: “Wage cuts, job losses across all sectors of the economy, high petrol diesel and gas prices are causing them acute distress. If this was not enough, while EMIs have been deferred, no interest subvention or relief has been provided. This offsets the entire purpose of the deferment. I urge the Central Government to prepare and publish a Common Minimum Relief Programme. This is vital and will help alleviate several of the concerns that currently afflict all people.”
The Congress president termed the 21-day national lockdown “unplanned” and said it has caused chaos and panic in the lives of migrant workers.
“The 21-day national lockdown may have been necessary but the unplanned manner in which it has been implemented has caused chaos and pain in the lives of millions of migrant workers all over India. It has been heartbreaking to see lakhs of people walking for hundreds of kilometres towards their villages without food or shelter,” she said.
