P Chidambaram suggests 10-point plan to deal with lockdown impact

NEWDELHI: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday called the three-week countrywide lockdown to check the coronavirus disease spread a “watershed moment” in the battle against the pandemic and suggested a 10-point plan to deal with its impact, including putting money in the bank accounts of the poor and marginalised.

Chidambaram, a former Union finance minister, demanded a cut in Goods and Services Tax rates by 5% on all wage goods, essential goods and services, and all goods of mass consumption from April 1 to June 30. He called for doubling the money paid and payable under the PM-KISAN scheme to ~12,000 and transfer of the additional amounts immediately. Under PM-KISAN, ~6,000 is annually paid to farmer families across the country in equal instalments.

For the urban poor, Chidambaram suggested transfer of ~6,000 into their Jan Dhan accounts, besides offering them rice for 10 per kg or wheat absolutely free, as a one-time measure over the next 21 days.

Chidambaram suggested opening a register in every ward or block and invite people, who have not received payment under any of the categories.

The Congress on Wednesday separately urged the government to implement the Nyuntam Aay Yojana, or Nyay, a minimum income guarantee scheme it had proposed as a pre-poll promise ahead of the 2019 national elections, as an immediate measure to counter the impact of the threeweek lockdown.

BJP spokesperson Gopal Agarwal said, “We welcome all suggestions and support. But the government is already on the job and working on a package. It is thinking not only for 21-day but for a long term revival.”