Cong leader Anand Sharma challenges Govt over stimulus package, claims it's just 1.6% of GDP

The Congress accused the government of misleading people in the name of an economic package and said the measures announced by the Centre amounted to only 1.6 per cent of India's GDP. The announcements made are worth Rs 3.22 lakh crore and not of Rs 20 lakh crore which was promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said senior Congress leader Anand Sharma.

New Delhi:Soon after the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the final tranche of stimulus package, on Sunday, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma claimed that the announcements made are worth Rs 3.22 lakh crore, which is equivalent to 1.6% of GDP, and not of Rs 20 lakh crore which was promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier.

He also posed a challenge to the Central Government to prove him wrong. While addressing a press conference, the Congress leader said, "I'm questioning the finance minister, disputing PM Modi and challenging the government to disprove me on numbers. I'm ready for debate with FM Nirmala Sitharaman."

He also accused the Government of "misleading" people of the country in the name of economic package. "Until this Government gives money in the hands of poor people, we won't consider it as a stimulus package. PM must walk the talk now," he said.

He also took a jibe at FM Nirmala Sitharaman saying that there is a difference between providing stimulus to the economy and merely giving loans and credit to the people.

"Credit guarantee without giving zero per cent interest rates for MSMEs, farmers, street vendors, is not a fiscal stimulus or economic package. We want to convey this difference to FM very politely, if she doesn't know about it," said the Congress leader.

Anand Sharma asserted that the primary concern of this government should be on how to "save the Indian economy from collapsing and fewer people die of starvation".

While welcoming the additional allocations to MGNREGA, he also suggested that the government should not worry about fiscal deficit and inflation in the current times. He said that the financial help should be given into the accounts of MGNREGA beneficiaries, rather than transferring it to the Jan-Dhan accounts, as it will benefit around 21% of the women population.

"It is time to take effective measures for rebooting economy. We have completely lost 7.5% of the GDP," he said.

Meanwhile, he also questioned the government for "opening up" defence, Airspace and Aerospace to foreign companies in today's announcements. He said, "Does the government have a mandate to take arbitrary decisions that will have far-reaching implications? This pandemic does not give the government any authorization to destroy Parliamentary democracy and embark on a grand clearance sale of national assets and resources."