New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the Indian economy will face a massive backlash in the post COVID-19 scenario and there is a need to think about safety net for critical areas of the economy.
Addressing a press conference via video conference, he said that the centre needs to work on strategy on critical issues like migrants, food security, implementing NYAY scheme to provide financial help to poor.
Food supply is critical issue, we should distribute ration to poor, marginalised 10 kg of wheat and rice, one kg of sugar, one kg of pulses should be given to poor every week, Gandhi said.
He also asked the central government to create defensive package for MSMEs and protect big strategic companies.
The Congress leader said the lockdown is not a solution to the pandemic and the time must be utilised to significantly bolster the existing medical infrastructure as well as take steps to deal with the worrying economic fall out.
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Gandhi also strongly pitched for aggressively expanding coronavirus testing across the country and adopting it as a "strategic" instrument to "defeat" the pandemic.
He further said the entire country has to fight the crisis "unitedly" and there is need to grant adequate resources to the states to help them deal with it in a "nuanced" manner.
Gandhi insisted that there is a need for devolution of powers to states to help them effectively deal with the situation. He added that a "blunt instrument" should not be used and what is needed is a "nuanced" and strategic approach.
