Extending lockdown without concrete measures to tackle the spread of COVID-19 and without addressing the grave issues of livelihood and hunger for another 19-days by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meaningless, the Left parties said on Tuesday.
“PM listed tasks that the people should implement during the extended lockdown. But nothing concrete on what the government will do. People were waiting for much needed relief for a large number of our poor, marginalised and migrant labour,” CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said. While the PM referred to “we the people” phrase from the Constitution, Mr. Yechury said it also includes the government who is running away from its responsibility.
During a press conference he addressed through Facebook Live, Mr. Yechury said while 339 persons have died of the pandemic as per the official records, nearly 200 persons have died of hunger, lack of shelter, exhaustion and malnutrition. He said the government must immediately transfer ₹7,500 to every non-income tax payee to sustain and survive.
“The rescue package announced by the Modi government was merely 1% of the total GDP while even a far smaller country like Malaysia is spending 16% of the GDP. The government should immediately hike the economic package to at least 5% of the GDP.” He also demanded that all registered MGNREGA workers should be paid the wages and arrangement should be made to take the migrant workers home.
Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac in a tweet listed out three key things that the Centre must immediately do. “There is no option other than extending the lockdown. But the Centre must learn lessons from the past three weeks. 1) Without extensive testing, lockdown won’t be effective. 2) Without income support compliance will be low. 3) Without additional resources States will be constrained,” he said.
CPI general secretary D Raja said the extension of lockdown was expected but what people hoped was that Mr. Modi would also outline an economic package on how to deal with the livelihood crisis. “For the people to live, they need livelihood,” Mr. Raja said.
CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya called Mr. Modi’s speech disappointing. “Modiji back patted himself on his government's ‘timely’ response and ‘holistic’ approach towards tackling the pandemic. He could’ve also congratulated himself on practising hand washing. He has completely washed his hands off the poor and toiling Indians,” he tweeted.
