Set up group for coordinated Centre-state response to revive economy: Amarinder

CHANDIGARH : Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set up a group, which should include a few chief ministers, to discuss and formulate a coordinated centre-state response to the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the economy and governments across the country.

Amarinder made the suggestion during a video conference held by the Prime Minister with the chief ministers of several states. The CM requested that the Centre should work closely with the states to ease the distress caused by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.

Calling for urgent steps to mitigate Punjab’s financial stress, Amarinder said a detailed memorandum had already been sent to the Centre, listing out the impact of Covid-19 and also seeking fiscal and non-fiscal assistance. Even as he thanked the Prime Minister and Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the release of GST payment of around ₹2,800 crore in early June, the CM said while he appreciated that the central government was also under financial stress, he had to request for release of the state’s pending share of taxes to tide over the fiscal crisis. “The crisis in Punjab is likely to be acute with a shortfall of ₹25,000-30,000 crore in revenue collection,” he said.

Pointing to the centre’s decision to allow reforms-linked increase in borrowing limits under FRBM Act from 3 to 5%, the chief minister requested the PM to relook at some of the conditionalities, given the situation on the ground.

CAPT CALLS FOR STRONG RESPONSE TO CHINESE INCURSIONS IN LADAKH

Expressing anger over the clash in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, which led the Indian Army to lose three brave personnel, CM Amarinder called for a strong response from India to the repeated violations of the Indian territory by the Chinese.

“Our soldiers are not fair game that every few days officers and men should be killed or injured defending our borders,” a furious Captain Amarinder said, reacting strongly to the development, which came even as the armies on the two sides were supposed to be in the process of disengagement from a tense stand-off of the past several days.