Unemployment Likely To Rise, Imperative To Provide Rs 7,500 To Each Family: Sonia Gandhi

Mumbai: Saying that 12 crore people lost their jobs in the first phase of the lockout, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi said on Thursday that the government is required to provide immediate financial support to each family to deal with the crisis and reiterated that the unemployment is likely to increase further as economic activity remains at a standstill.

“The entry of food grains under the National Food Security Act has not yet reached the beneficiaries. 11 crore people who need subsidized foodgrains are out of the public distribution system. It should be our commitment to provide 10 kgs of food grains, 1 kg of pulses and half a Kg of sugar to each person of the family every month, in this hour of crisis,” Gandhi at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting today.

The first phase of the lockout has resulted in the loss of 120 million jobs. Unemployment is likely to increase further as economic activity remains at a standstill. Providing at least 7,500 rupees to each family is necessary to deal with this crisis. Migrant labourers are still stranded, jobless and desperate to return home. They have been hit the hardest. They must be provided with food security and a financial safety net in order to survive this period of crisis,” she said.

The Congress chief said that a special package for the existence of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) should be announced immediately.

He said, “MSMEs today employs about 11 crore personnel. They make up for a third of GDP. If they are to survive economic ruin, it is imperative that a special package is announced urgently for their survival,” she said.

The Congress chief claimed that the central government does not have a “clear” idea as to how the situation will improve after May 3, when the ongoing lockout ends. “A lockdown of the current nature after that date would be even more devastating,” she said.

Gandhi said the Congress had repeatedly urged the Prime Minister that “there is no alternative to the trial, trace and quarantine program”.

“Unfortunately, testing is still low and test kits are still in short supply and poor quality. PPE kits are being provided to our doctors and healthcare workers, but the number and quality are poor,” she said.

The Congress chief said that farmers are facing severe difficulties. “Issues of weak and unclear procurement policies and disrupted supply chains need to be addressed without delay. Necessary facilities must be made available to the farmers for the next round of Kharif crops which will begin in the coming 2 months,” she said.

In an attack against the Center, Gandhi said: “State and local governments are the frontlines of the fight against COIDID-19. The money given to our states has been held back legitimately.”

She accused the BJP of spreading “viruses of communal bias and hatred” amid the outbreak of COVID-19.
The Congress leader insisted that one should successfully focus on health, food security and livelihood issues.

“The lockout continues and all sections of our society are facing enormous hardship and crisis – especially our farmers and farmworkers, migrant workers, construction workers and unorganized sector workers. rade, commerce and industry have come to a virtual halt and crores of livelihoods have been destroyed,” she said.

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