On my 74th birthday, my thoughts are about the economy, says PC
ED summons his ex-secy in INX case ◗ Chidambaram reminded the govt that no country had ever managed to achieve 8 per cent GDP growth without exports at a staggering 20 per cent per year
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday issued a fresh summons to a former private secretary of arrested Congress leader P. Chidambaram for questioning in connection with its money laundering probe into the INX Media case.
Sources said K.V.K. Perumal, a former ori-vate secretary of P. Chidambaram, has been asked to appear before the investigating officer of the case on September 18. They said Mr Perumal was grilled twice by the central agency in the recent past.
Mr Perumal served as the private secretary to Mr Chidambaram when the latter was the Union finance minister. His statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) when he was summoned by the ED earlier, sources said. Some more information had been sought from
Mr Perumal and he had been summoned for the third time now, they added.
Meanwhile, Mr Chidambaram on Monday celebrated his 74th birthday in Tihar Jail with a tweet on the condition of the economy and a letter from his son, Karti Chidambaram. The Congress veteran, whose tweet last week warned that only bold action from the centre could revive the ailing economy, pointed to a negative growth of exports of 6.05 per cent for August 2019 as signs that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious goal of making India a $5-trillion economy might be out of reach. Declaring himself “deeply concerned”, Mr Chidambaram also reminded the government that no country had ever managed to achieve 8 per cent GDP growth — seen by many experts as necessary to hit the $5 trillion mark — without exports at a staggering 20 per cent per year.
Mr Chidambaram also thanked supporters on his birthday and said he felt “74 years young”. “My family have brought me greetings from friends, party colleagues and wellwishers. I am reminded that I am 74 years old. Indeed I am but at heart I feel 74 years young. Thank you all, my spirits have been lifted higher,” his tweet read.