Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said the pandemic, coupled with the Narendra Modi Government’s “short-sighted” policies, has brought in an atmosphere of “uncertainty” for the economic revival.
Opening the debate in the Lok Sabha on the supplementary demand for grants, Mr. Tharoor said the Government must stop presenting an “unrealistic picture” of the economy and that the additional demand for ₹3.73 lakh crore shows the gross miscalculation of the Government’s expected expenditure while presenting this year’s Budget.
Mr. Tharoor said this not only showed underwhelming allocations to different sectors but also “undermined Parliament”.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was present for most part of the debate, is expected to give her reply on Wednesday.
“Our nation’s economy continues to battle the significant forces of disruption that were set in motion by the COVID-19 pandemic and which can trace their way back in our country to the disaster of demonetisation,” he said.
Raising the issue of Government picking up the debt of Air India, he said, “Achhe din will take a while in coming as tax payers will have to foot the bill.”
Questioning allocations to sectors like the railways, defence, MNREGA, agriculture or flagship programmes like the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao for the girl child, Mr. Tharoor said, “Like the earlier Budget, I have to say na jawan, na kisan [nothing for the soldier or the farmer]…It is about Paise Bachao, Beti Dubao”.
Countering the Opposition MPs, BJP’s Nishikant Dubey alleged that a loss-making Air India and high fuel prices because of oil bonds were the UPA’s legacy and questioned spending tax payers’ money on Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) that drafted laws like “the RTI Act which hardly provided any benefit”.
Opposition members including Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy and DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran, RSP N.K. Premachandran also criticised the Government’s disinvestment plans including the Air India’s sale to the Tata group.
Mr. Roy said the Finance Minister will be known for selling not just Air India but also two banks, one insurance company, BPCL and divesting equity in the LIC.
Mr. Premachandran asked the Government to clarify what would happen to Air India’s assets in the form of property valued at ₹5 lakh crore.
Jayadev Galla (TDP) raised the issue of additional funds for COVID-19 vaccination to effectively deal with the Omicron variant.
Mr. Maran, followed by several Opposition members, urged the Government to enhance the amount under the MPLADs scheme.
