Coronavirus: Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi, suggests measures to tackle spread of Covid-19

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, supporting the 21 day nation wide lockdown as a ‘welcome step’ while putting forward emonomic and health measures in the fight against Covid-19.

“The 21-day nation-wide lockdown announced by you as a measure to fight the coronavirus is a welcome step. As president of the Indian National Congress, I would like to state that we will support and collaborate fully with every step taken by the Union government to ensure the containment of the pandemic,” Gandhi wrote in her letter.

“It is in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation therefore, that I would like to suggest some measures that I believe will help us to address the massive health crisis we are about to face and to ameliorate the immense economic and existential pain that vulnerable sections of our society will soon be subject to,” she further said in the letter.

The Congress president then sought measures to safeguard doctors, paramedics and ease the supply chain so that health care professionals do not catch the virus.

“I sincerely believe that implementing ‘NYAY yojana’ is the need of the hour. At this time of immense distress for the poor who are going to weather the major economic fallout of this pandemic, it will give them a basic economic resource to fall back on,” she said.

This is Congress president’s second letter to the Prime Minister in four days, suggesting him to launch emergency health measures.

In her suggestions, Sonia Gandhi called for a dedicated Web portal with particulars about assigned hospital and construction of intensive care unit and ventilators. Mrs Gandhi also requested PM Modi to set up broad based social protection steps, which includes direct money transfer, for daily wagers, MGNREA workers, factory labour, construction and unorganised workers, fishermen, farm labourers and other unprotected section of the society.

Sonal Gandhi also held out for deferring all EMIs for six month, and waiving of interest to be charged by banks during this time. She also put forward a thorough sector wise relief wise package, inclusive of needed tax breaks.

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