A day after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) promised a direct cash transfer scheme for women in Goa if it is voted to power, former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Sunday questioned its feasibility.
TMC’s Mahua Moitra was quick to reply that it was “perfectly doable” and good economics in COVID times means “putting money in people’s hands”.
The exchange on Twitter was triggered after Mr. Chidambaram took a dig at TMC's promise in a debt ridden State and asked, “Should it be God save Goa?”
“Here is a math that deserves the Nobel Prize in Economics. A monthly grant of ₹5000 to a woman in 3.5 lakh households in Goa will cost ₹175 crore a month. That is ₹2,100 crore a year,” Mr Chidambaram said on Twitter.
“It is a “small” sum for the State of Goa that had an outstanding debt of ₹23,473 crore at the end of March 2020. God bless Goa! Or should it be God save Goa?” asked the former Finance Minister with a tinge of sarcasm.
Responding to him, Ms Moitra said, “Yes sir @PChidambaram_IN ₹5000 to 3.5 lakh Goan households = ₹2,100 crores is 6-8% of total budget which is perfectly doable. Good economics in depressed post covid scenario requires putting cash in hand & liquidity into system”.
The latest episode reflects the on-going tensions between the Congress and the TMC over the upcoming Assembly elections in Goa.
The TMC announced that it would contest all the 40 seats in alliance with the Maharashtra Gomantak Party (MGP). Election strategist Prashant Kishor poached former Congress Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro by offering a Rajya Sabha berth, prompting the Congress to accuse the TMC of helping the BJP by trying to weaken the Congress.
