SONIA Gandhi calls for austerity measures

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has suggested a five-point austerity measure for the government while fighting COVID-19.In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Gandhi on Thursday, April 07, she said money should be conserved for the fight against COVID-19, including a complete ban on media advertisem  by government and PSUs for two years and suspending INR 20,000-crore Central Vista beautification project. She sent the suggestion after PM Modi reached out to several opposition leaders, including Gandhi. In her letter to the prime minister, Gandhi also called for ordering proportionate reduction of 30 per cent in expenditure budget (other than salaries, pensions and central sector schemes) for the government of India. All foreign visits of the president, prime minister, Union ministers, chief ministers, state ministers and bureaucrats must be put on hold for two years. The Congress chief called for transferring all money under the ‘PM Cares’ fund to the ‘Prime Ministers National Relief Fund’ to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability. The need of the hour is austerity measures to divert funds to the fight against COVID-19. “Impose a complete ban on media advertisements – television, print and online – by the Government and PSU’, she said.[ picture courtesy: The  Business Standard)