COVID-19: Cong urges PM to declare economic package of 5-6% of GDP

The Congress urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to be bold in declaring a financial package of at least five to six per cent of the GDP for ensuring economic recovery after the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Opposition party demanded that the Centre cleared all pending dues to the states to enable them to fight with the novel coronavirus pandemic, besides also giving each of them special economic packages.

At a press conference via video, party spokesperson Anand Sharma said the government must also allow industry contributions under the corporate social responsibility to the chief minister relief funds in various states along the same lines as that granted to the PM Cares Fund.

He added that not doing so would amount of discrimination and unfairness towards states.

“These are extraordinary times and it required extra-ordinary actions. That is why the prime minister should be bold and declare an economic package to help revive various sectors of the economy post lockdown,” Sharma said.

“We expect that the economic package should be at least five-six per cent of India’s GDP,” he said.

The Congress leader added that many countries like the UK, France and Germany had declared economic packages that were 15 per cent of their GDP, and the USA had it at 10 per cent.