Does Govt Have Plans to Tackle Issues like Economy and Unemployment, Asks Congress

The Congress on Thursday demanded answers from the government on whether it has plans to tackle vital issues concerning the common man and raised concerns over decline in GDP growth and rise in unemployment.

Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said this government cannot be clueless about important issues affecting people and questioned why the prime minister did not talk about these issues in his speeches at the Red Fort or on television.

"This government cannot be a 'Ram bharose' government, because even Ram helps only those who help themselves. I want to ask our prime minister, who is such a great orator, on why he does not talk about employment and the issue of economic decline which is crucial," he said at a virtual press conference.

Singhvi took a swipe at the Madhya Pradesh government over its assertion that it will reserve government jobs for people of the state and accused it of indulging in "jumlebaazi" (sloganeering) as it has no jobs to offer.

"The time has gone for 'jumlebaazi' and it is time to speak clearly. The government is playing a clear joke on all of us as it is insensitive towards a crumbling economy. There is a collapse of ideas in the government," he alleged.

Claiming that as per government data, total job losses as of April was 1.77 crore and that figure is just under 2 crore (1.9 crore) in July, the Congress leader alleged that the figure has consistently been on a secular increase for the last six months and the government has not done anything.

He said from a GDP of 7 per cent in 2017-18 which slided to 6.1 per cent in 2018-19 and to 4.2 in 2019-20 before COVID-19, it is expected that it may fall to zero percent going by the World Bank warnings on contraction of economy post the pandemic.

"Are you clueless and do you have an idea of the contraction," he asked the government.

Singhvi also claimed that two out of five migrants are not getting ration as per a latest report and said it is pitiable that almost 50 per cent people do not get proper nourishment when our warehouses are overflowing with foodgrains.

"There is one clear fundamental mismatch in your governance structure," he alleged.