COVID has hit with fury, we were caught off guard once more: Sonia Gandhi.
Accusing the Modi authorities of “gross unpreparedness” and “adhocism” in dealing with the COVID-19 disaster, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday made a slew of ideas to the Centre to deal with the pandemic equivalent to decreasing the immunization age to 25 years and offering revenue help to individuals.
In her opening remarks, whereas chairing the assembly of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), Gandhi additionally accused the Centre of giving preferential remedy to some states whereas sustaining “thundering silence” on requests of states dominated by the Congress and opposition events.
The Congress has at all times believed that combating the COVID-19 pandemic is a nationwide problem that ought to be stored above social gathering politics, she asserted.
“We have extended our hands of cooperation right from February-March, 2020. We cannot, however, lose sight of the fact that the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the country with fury. Despite a year to prepare, we have, regrettably, been caught off guard again,” Gandhi mentioned.
Instead of listening to the constructive ideas of the opposition, Union ministers are pressed into service to assault leaders of opposition for giving these ideas, she mentioned.
“This convoluted ‘me versus you’ debate is childish and totally unnecessary,” Gandhi asserted.
Making a host of ideas to the federal government, she mentioned the Centre should additionally rethink its precedence for vaccine candidates by decreasing the immunization age to 25 years and above as additionally all youthful individuals with at-risk well being issues like bronchial asthma, angina, diabetes, kidney and liver illnesses and different related illnesses.
“In the course of my talks with our chief ministers, the question of GST (Goods and Services Tax) came up. They felt that as a preliminary measure, all equipment, instruments, medicines and support required to prevent and treat COVID-19 should be made free from GST,” Gandhi mentioned.
It is a matter of grave concern that life saving medication like Remdesivir and medical oxygen as additionally different fundamental dietary supplements are subjected to 12 per cent GST, the Congress chief mentioned.
“As the central and state governments move ahead to control the situation by resorting to partial curfews, travel restrictions, closure and lockdowns; we will again be restricting economic activity that will hit the already beleaguered people, especially the poor and the daily wagers,” she mentioned.
“It is, therefore, imperative to provide monthly income support and transfer an amount of Rs 6,000 in every eligible citizen’s account,” Gandhi mentioned.
Taking on these difficult occasions as Indians relatively than as political opponents will likely be true ‘Rajadharma’, she burdened.
The CWC assembly was additionally attended by former social gathering chief Rahul Gandhi, basic secretaries, different everlasting invitees and state in-charges of the social gathering.
