Amarinder writes to PM Modi, seeks Rs 80,845-crore aid

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 15

Pointing to the large-scale devastation and distress caused to the state due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister, seeking fiscal aid from the Government of India to the tune of Rs 80,845 crore, along with non-fiscal assistance on various counts, in order to save lives and secure livelihoods in the new normal.

The non-fiscal component of the aid sought by the Chief Minister includes waiver of long-term CCL debt, upward revision of capital outlay and targets under MGNREGA, and other major flagship programmes of the Union Government such as Smart City Programme, AMRUT, a new National Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme, etc, in addition to revamping of Inter-state Migrant Workers Act and amendments to Labour Reforms to ensure full protection of civil liberties and basic rights of agriculture and industrial labourers.

The Centre’s urgent intervention was needed to avert any major socio-economic upheaval in the coming future, as also to assure our next generations of safe living and security of livelihood in the country, said the Chief Minister.

In his detailed memorandum, Captain Amarinder has drawn the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the need for administrative, structural, and even statutory changes to ensure the safety and security of people in the new normal, given that the pandemic is here to stay for a long time. The new normal has also necessitated changes and repurposing in government programmes to meet the challenges of the present crisis, he added.

Amarinder pointed out that, “The Government of Punjab, despite all-out efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic in keeping with the guidelines issued by the Government of India from time to time, feels that states alone cannot meet the new challenges, and therefore in the true spirit of cooperative federalism, needs the Union Government to aid and assist them in an unusually big way, which the country has never seen since independence in 1947.”

Listing out the detailed support measures needed to revive the state’s economy while ensuring protection of life amid the continuing pandemic spread, the Chief Minister said a direct fiscal stimulus of Rs 26,400 crore and the waiver of the long-term CCL debt was extremely necessary for the fiscal recovery of the state government. Additionally, all central schemes should be 100% funded by the Centre in FY 2020-21, he has further requested in the memorandum.

Listing out the areas in which assistance was urgent required, the Chief Minister said improvement in the state’s public health infrastructure from a long-term perspective had been estimated at a cost of Rs 6,603 crore.

To contain the COVID-19 contagion in the rural areas, Rs 5,068 crore would be required for liquid and solid waste management in the villages, in addition to upward revision of capital outlay and targets under MGNREGA from Rs 767 crore to Rs 2,413 crore, as per the state government estimates, said the Chief Minister, adding that total fiscal assistance of Rs 6,714 crore was required for this sector.

For Housing and Urban Affairs, Amarinder has proposed a National Urban Employment Guarantee Act (NUEGA), to guarantee employment in urban areas, or which an annual outlay of Rs 3,200 crore would be required. He has also solicited additional capital outlay of Rs 6,670 crore under Schemes like AMRUT, Smart City, PMAY etc., with certain relaxations, along with a grant of Rs. 1,137 crore on account of revenue loss is solicited.

To meet the post-Covid online and other educational needs of, the state has sought assistance of Rs. 3,080 crore, with another Rs 8 crore for online training and stipend at Rs 1,000 per month for students during the lockdown period.

Further, financial assistance of  Rs 2,571 crore has been solicited for Border Area Development in an integrated manner, with acquisition of farm land beyond the border fencing or adequate compensation to farmers for frequent disruptions in those areas.

Also, trade, business and Industry, specifically MSMEs, need strong support from the Government of India, including interest waiver, broader ESI/ EPF contribution, higher interest subvention and expeditious GST refunds, the Chief Minister has underlined in the memorandum.

Similarly, the Power sector needs several policy interventions by the Government of India, he stressed, adding that labour process reforms would be required to facilitate quicker recovery of the industrial sector without causing damage to civil liberties and basic rights of the workers.