PM's Relief Package Speech: Opposition Cautious About Details

Most parties also criticised Narendra Modi for neglecting the plight of migrant and informal workers.

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus for the Indian economy, most opposition parties said that they would prefer to wait for the fine print before reacting to the announcement.

Opposition parties had been suggesting that the government should provide some financial stimulus to help the pandemic-affected economy revive in the days to come.

Accordingly, Congress leaders welcomed the announcement but added that only when details of the package emerge, they will be in a better position to elaborate.

“We welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement of the economic package and stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore. We will wait for the details, but hope that it will provide much needed relief to the stressed micro, small and medium sector, especially for support towards payment of workers wages and a healing touch to the migrant workers, labour and the poor,” senior Congress leader Anand Sharma told the Indian Express.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] general secretary Sitaram Yechury Sitaram Yechury too said that the absence of details in the prime minister’s speech was conspicuous. He said that it was unfortunate that Modi did not mention a word about providing relief to the crores of migrant workers.

“We were all expecting the Prime Minister to announce some facility or relief for them. But there was no word… And what about the lakhs of people who are hungry.”

“The four big problems confronting India: distress of migrants, resources that states need, hunger and unemployment were not addressed at all,” Yechury said. While adding that one has to wait to see details of the package, he hoped that “this money will go in the pockets of the poor and the hungry, not to help more defaulters….”

The Trinamool Congress, which has been belligerent against the Centre, gave a measured response but not without scepticism. Party MP Derek O’ Brien said, “We saw the box today. We saw the wrapping paper today. But what is in the product. we don’t know. For that, we have to open the package tomorrow or day after. He (Modi) said 20 lakh crores, 10 per cent of GDP, but (there was a) little asterisk there saying some conditions apply.”

He asked how the Centre was planning to raise the Rs 20 lakh crore. “How is all this going to be paid for? A borrowing? Where are the details for the borrowing?… Because if you are going to borrow Rs 20 lakh crore, what happens to the state? How will states then borrow? No details. Are you going to raise taxes?. we have to wait for the details because the devil is in the details.”

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The PM, however, sold a dream, and that was very much required at this hour to lift the sagging morale of the nation. Self-reliance, local-vocal, vibrant demography, making the 21st century ‘India’s Century’, ramping up the supply chain to compete with the best in the world, an efficient system based on technology and world class infrastructure – they are vague, yet powerful words to fire imaginations. More so in turbulent times like these.

The speech was less about corona and the accompanying lockdown (and rightly so, I think) – and more about a promised better life beyond that. After seeing the damage an extended and pan-India lockdown has done to the country’s economy, a well packaged dream was very much needed from the PM.