By conveying her support to 30% Cut in MP salaries, Gandhi put across five suggestions for the Modi government amid the coronavirus crisis.
New Delhi| Responding to the Prime Minister’s call to get suggestions on the tackling of COVID-19, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi jolted down a 2-page letter with five suggestions for the Modi government.
“In your call yesterday you very kindly asked me to convey to you any suggestions our party has to meet the grave challenge of Covid-19. It is in this spirit I write to you,” Sonia said at the beginning of the letter.
By conveying her support to 30% Cut in MP salaries, Gandhi put across five suggestions for the Modi government amid the coronavirus crisis. Sonia Gandhi talked about Government advertising, the beautification project in Delhi’s heart, canceling of 30 percent expenditure budget, canceling of abroad trips and transferring all the money from PM-Cares fund to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
In her first suggestion, Gandhi said, “Impose a complete ban on media advertisements- television, print and online- but the Government and Public sector Undertakings (PSUs) for a period of two years.” She also said that the COVID-19 related guidelines can be an exception.
She said that the government spends 12 Rs. 1250 crores per year on Media advertisements (Excluding amount paid by PSUs and government companies). She said this money can be used to tackle the economic impact of COVID-19.
She also suggested an immediate suspension of the Central Vista beautification and construction project worth Rs. 20,000 crores. She called the outlay “self-indulging” in the prevailing times.
“I am certain that Parliament can function comfortably within the existing historical buildings. There is no urgent or pressing requirement that can not be postponed until this crisis is contained,” Sonia Gandhi said.
She said the money can be used for building new hospital infrastructure and diagnostics besides better equipping frontline COVID-19 workers.
She also asked to make a proportionate 30% cut in expenditure budget of the government and use it to help migrant workers and others in the unorganized sector.
“All foreign visits including that of Prime Minister, Union Ministers, State Ministers, and bureaucrats must be put on hold in a similar fashion,” Sonia Gandhi said adding that exceptions can be made in a special emergency or in the national interest. The amount, she said, can be used extensively to combat Covid-19.
She also urged to transfer all the funds collected under PM-Cares fund to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) in order to ensure efficiency, transparency, accountability, and audit in the manner in which these funds are allocated and spent.
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