THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has come down heavily on the Central government’s Athmanirbhar Bharat package of Rs 20 lakh crore. He alleged that under the guise of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre is giving foreign private monopolists the opportunity to loot the country. Addressing the media here on Monday, Chennithala said the BJP-led government’s ploy is to compromise the country’s security by helping private monopolists, and added that the hopes of the common people have been shattered.

Instead of strengthening the country’s economy, the package will only destroy it, the repercussions of which will be far reaching. The decision on allowing FDI in defence manufacturing should have been discussed in Parliament before taking a unilateral stand. Chennithala lamented that federalism has been trampled on. 

The need of the hour is what former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, MP, had suggested --  handing `6,000 in cash to the poor and needy. It’s been 56 days since the lockdown began and the state and the Centre should immediately think of giving money through direct benefit transfer, he said.“The expectation was that it would be a stimulus package as people have got no purchasing power. The country’s economic stability cannot be strengthened just by sanctioning loans. People will be forced to pay not only the interest, but penal interest as well when they don’t have any source of income to repay the loans,” said Chennithala.

He did not spare the LDF government in the state either. If the Central government has announced C20 lakh crore, the LDF government has proclaimed `20,000 crore which is nothing, but cheating the people. While the state government utilised the announced package to pay its outstanding payments, the Central government is urging the people to avail loans, he alleged.“The KPCC will submit a revival package recommendation to the LDF government on Tuesday. The state government should take steps to help people who have been living in penury following the lockdown.”

Chennithala also alleged that the state government’s decision to open the bars from Wednesday reeks of corruption. The state is going to lose 20 per cent commission on sales that the 300 Bevco outlets used to get. Now this will go to the pockets of the bar owners resulting in a huge loss to the exchequer, he claimed.
Currently, retail liquor sale is permitted only through the 300-plus Bevco and Consumerfed shops.