Wait and Watch: Congress' Debabrata Saikia on PM's 20 Lakh Cr Package

Guwahati:

Debabrata Saikia, the leader of Opposition in Assam, while welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore, has cautioned that "we must wait for sometime" before giving the final verdict on the PM's initiative.

"We have to wait for sometime. During the period of lockdown, labourers from various parts returned to their native places and in that time, whether the Government was able to instill them with confidence so that they can return to their places of work is important as much of the country's industrial sector will depend on that", Saikia said in a video message earlier today.

Secondly, Saikia said, the Government had introduced a 'Make in India' initiative but it did not propel the economy forward as expected. " The 20 lakh package that is being talked about is acceptable, is welcome, but it is to be seen how it will be implemented", Saikia said

Saikia also pointed out that Government schemes are yet to reach certain sections of the masses. "Azim Premji University and also other independent organizations have discovered that even after 50 days have elapsed, 25 crore out of 80 crore people have still not received food security. Similarly, more than 50% families have not received the financial benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana or Garin Kalyan Yojana", said Saikia.

What the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Says:

As the nation grapples with the threat of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12 announced an economic package with the aim to build a "self-reliant India."

The economic package for the 'Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan' is close to 10 per cent of India's GDP. The total allocation including the last package stands at Rs 20 lakh crore. Modi said that land, labour, liquidity and laws have all been taken into consideration while forming this package. Stating that the people have to strengthen their resolve, the Prime Minister said the "only way" is a self-reliant India.

"The crisis has brought a key opportunity for India. We are at a critical juncture in this fight. A self-reliant India is the only way forward. We need to make India excel in a post-Covid world order," PM Modi said.

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