CPI(M) terms Centre’s stimulus package as ‘hoax’

Ravi S Singh

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Tribune News service

New Delhi, May 15

In line with its critique of the Rs 20-lakh crore stimulus package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CPI(M) on Friday picked a bone with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her Thursday’s claims of the government’s relief measures for the people.

Sitharaman had elaborated the relief and welfare measures while detailing the second tranche of the “stimulus package”, which the CPI(M) dismissed as “hoax”.

“The much awaited second tranche of the Rs 20-lakh crore financial

package regarding the migrant workers, farmers and the poor has turned

out to be a cruel hoax,” the CPI(M) said following the meeting of its Polit Bureau.

The CPI(M) countered Sitharaman saying no money has been transferred from the government to any of the worst affected sections of people, specifically migrant workers, street vendors, domestic workers and fishing workers.

“This package is mainly provision of loans,” the CPI(M) stated.

Picking holes in Sitharaman’s assertions that there was a  40 to 50 per cent increase in MNREGA workdays generated, it said, in April last  year, 27.3 crore person-days were generated compared to 11.1 crore this year – the lowest in a decade.

Besides, the CPI(M)’s case is that the government address to the issue of retrenchment had been lacklustre.

The party put forth demands, including a minimum cash transfer of

Rs 7,500 per month for the next three months for all families outside

of the income tax paying bracket in view of loss of large number of jobs.

Also, it made case for providing 10 kg of food grains per individual, per month, for the next six months from the stock of 77 million tonnes in our godowns.

The party pitched for free transportation of migrant workers who had been on the roads for the last fifty days.