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Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 11
On Monday, Punjab Prime Minister Captain Amarinder Singh proposed an extension of the blockade, but with a carefully crafted strategy, backed by the fiscal and economic empowerment of states to save lives and secure livelihoods.
Clearly in favor of continuing a strict blockade, in view of the escalation of COVID-19 cases across the country, Prime Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, during the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that states should have greater flexibility in micro planning as part of a carefully planned exit strategy, encompassing both the containment of COVID and a defined path of economic revival.
The exit strategy should consider and focus on the fiscal and economic empowerment of the states, which are responsible for the real action that directly affects the livelihood and social health of the common man, said the chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, suggesting that states should be allowed great flexibility in micro-planning, with the objective that MSMEs operate in red zone districts with adequate safeguards.
The decision to designate the red, orange / yellow and green zones should be left to the states, which were more aware of the realities of the terrain, said Captain Amarinder Singh.
Captain Amarinder Singh demanded urgent financial assistance from the states to meet at least 33 percent of their committed obligations, along with revenue grants to the states for three months to cover the revenue gap and finance expenditures on COVID-19 .
The Prime Minister also called for a national strategy on COVID testing to make the battle against COVID-19 more effective, noting that he had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct Central Government institutions in Chandigarh and Punjab to increase the testing ability.
Captain Amarinder Singh also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the borrowing limit under the Financial Responsibility and Budget Management Act of 2005 (FRBM Act) from 3% to 4% of SGDP to allow states to comply with your tax obligations.
The Punjab government had been waging the COVID battle from the front, and had managed to reduce the death rate in the state to 1.8 percent, while containing the doubling rate in about seven days against the 11-day national average, noted the Chief Minister during the meeting.
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