Congress terms economic survey 'fiction movie' and 'hollow document'

The Congress party launched a scathing attack on the Centre on Monday on the pre-budget economic survey, saying the survey was a 'palace of illusions'. Several Congress leaders lambasted the survey, laying out reasons why the study was removed from ground reality.

New Delhi: The Congress party launched a scathing attack on BJP-led Central Government after it came out with the pre-budget Economic Survey, by comparing it with a 'palace of illusions' and alleging that it is far away from the ground reality.

On Monday, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey in Parliament which has stated that the economy is expected to grow by 9.2 percent during the current financial year, indicating a recovery to the pre-pandemic level and that it is well placed to meet the future challenges on the back of widespread vaccine coverage, supply-side reforms and easing of regulations.

While attacking the government over the matter, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "The people of the country are troubled by the burden of tax collection, whereas for the Modi government, earning this tax is a big achievement. There is a difference of point of view - they see only their wealth, not the pain of the people."

Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill alleged, "Economic Survey presented by the Finance Minister today is like a fiction movie, completely unconnected to the reality. It is like a palace of illusions, which doesn't acknowledge the grave economic crisis this country is facing."

"Of rising unemployment, fuel prices, cylinder prices, shrinking savings, closing businesses, the truth of the matter is, economic Survey is a perfect indicator to show to the nation that BJP government is still in complete denial mode about the need to correct the economy and to put it back on track," he further added.

Shergill asserted, "The BJP has made a desperate attempt to paint a rosy picture on the canvas of cactus, planted by itself. Economic Survey shows that BJP will not be presenting a pro-people's budget but will be presenting a hollow document."

Meanwhile, former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram gave an in-depth view on this matter, saying, The Economic Survey repeats ad nauseum that at the end of 2021-22 the economy would have recovered to the pre-pandemic level (2019-20). In plain language, it means that on 31.3.2022 the GDP will be at the same level as it was on 31-3-2020. It means that it has taken two years to go back to where we were on 31-3-2020."

He also pointed out that these two years of the pandemic have impoverished people as millions of jobs have been lost, 84% of households have suffered loss of income, 4.6 crore have been pushed into poverty, and India ranks 104 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index.

"This is a time for contrition and change (of approach), not for boasts and no change," Chidambaram asserted in his tweet.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, too, tweeted out his views on the survey, saying it was a "classic case of 'what statistics say' but 'what they actually reveal'", saying in a series of tweets that the survey failed to address problems persisting in the country.

Congress MP Manish Tewari instead took a dig at the government by saying, "Just finished reading the Economic Survey 2021-22. It seems to be either an exercise to talk up the economy or make the government feel good. Unfortunately does not read like a solid objective analysis."

The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the fourth Budget of the Modi Government 2.0 on February 1, 2022, ie on Tuesday. The focus of this year's Budget is expected to be on accelerating India's pace of recovery from the pandemic shock and also strengthening India's healthcare system to prepare it for any future outbreaks.