Offer financial package to states, Congress tells PM

NEW DELHI: Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy said most states struck a cautious note on the opening of lockdown in the meeting with the PM and left the post-May 3 decision on the Centre. The only Congress CM among nine to speak at the meeting addressed a press conference later and his comments were viewed as representative of the opposition party which governs three more states.
“Most of the CMs said the way in which coronavirus cases are increasing, there should be a cautious approach and the PM should take a call on the basis of observation of CMs. Most BJPruled states’ CMs said the lockdown should be continued and economic activities be started slowly,” he said.
He added that he was against continued strict lockdown and voiced the need to relax it with conditions, so that economic activities could resume.
Among the demands Narayanasamy said he raised, which are part of the Congress wish list, he said loans should be made interest free and credit limit for states should be increased from 3% to 5%. He said some states also demanded a financial package for economic revival and for MSMEs. He told Modi that a stimulus package should be like what the UPA gave in 2008 for economic revival.