Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asks industry to have faith in government

NEW DELHI:  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday asked India Inc to have faith in the government and assured them that they were taking all required measures to help the industry and people as Covid-19 cases surge amidst a second wave.

“During this ongoing second wave, look at the steps which we have taken. Revival will continue to happen. Sentiments cannot fall so rapidly. Our appeal to the industry is to have trust in the government,” Sitharaman said addressing a seminar organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Kolkata.

Sitharaman added that the central government has disbursed Rs 4,650 crore to  the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech for vaccine production up to July, and that these vaccines will be available for free in government hospitals. 

“We hope the second wave can be stifled through micro-containment zones as the government is not in favour of an all-across lockdown,” she said.

The finance minister also held several other meetings with industry leaders, noting that, unlike last time, we now have important tools to deal with the pandemic such as vaccines and medicines. On meeting the phenomenal increase in demand for medical oxygen, Sitharaman assured seamless supply to states. 

Measures that the government is taking include importing medical oxygen, round-the-clock working of the oxygen filling stations, and allowing containers used for nitrogen and argon to be used for oxygen. The finance minister also gave details on initiatives to help ramp up the production capacity for Remdesivir from 36 lakh vials per month to 78 lakh vials.