Unitedly urge Centre on loan moratorium: Stalin to CMs
TN CM demands a moratorium on loan repayment for MSMEs and small businesses
Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin mobilised his counterparts in 12 states that are not under the BJP's rule on demanding a moratorium on loan repayment for MSMEs and small businesses.
In a letter to the CMs of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal on Tuesday, Mr Stalin wrote that they all must come together to “show our collective strength at this hour of great need”.
He said that it is the collective efforts of the states that made the Union government and the Prime Minister reverse the earlier policy on vaccine procurement.
In a bold move, chief minister M.K. Stalin mobilised his counterparts in 12 states that are not under BJP regime to “show our collective strength at this hour of great need” on demanding a moratorium on loan repayment for MSMEs and small businesses.
In a letter to the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal on Tuesday, Stalin stressed on the need to come together.
Stating that it the collective efforts of the States that made the Union government and the Prime Minister reverse the earlier policy on vaccine procurement, he said: “I believe all the state governments should again come together on the pressing issue of asymmetry in treatment of borrowers, particularly MSME units and small borrowers, during the first and second waves of Covid-19.”
He recalled the government of India originally undertaking to vaccinate all frontline workers and the general population above the age of 45 free of cost and subsequently deviating from the policy and shifting the responsibility to procure and administer vaccines to people in the age group of 18 to 45 to the state governments.
“Many amongst us pointed out the fact that the most appropriate monosponic purchaser would be the government of India. Further, considering that the Union government also has considerably larger fiscal resources and a budget provision of `35,000 crore in the Union Budget for 2021-2022, it was further emphasised by us that the Union government should purchase the vaccines centrally and issue them free of cost to all states,” he said. Mr Stalin said that he was happy that their collective efforts had been instrumental in convincing the Union government and Prime Minister in reversing their earlier policy and appealed to them to come together again.
“In April/May, 2020 when the government of India had announced the nationwide lockdown, a moratorium was offered on repayment of loans for such borrowers. However, in AprilJune, 2021 when lockdowns are being imposed based on local conditions by the respective states similar relief to borrowers is not being provided for,” he pointed out.