LoP wants MLAs,MSMEs in special economic panel

Stalin also advised the government to collect an interim report from the committee in a month and start economic restructuring. Welcoming the committee constituted to make recommendations to the state government to overcome the distress caused to the state economy by COVID-19, Stalin said that though there are 24 members in the high-level committee chaired by an economist, other than industrialists, the rest of the committee members are only officers.

Expressing regret at the committee not comprising representatives of MSMEs, unorganised workers, farmers, fishermen and weavers, who were most affected by the coronavirus, Stalin said that it is surprising that not even parties with Assembly representatives have been appointed members of the committee.

Stating that poor and middle class people were worst hit by the COVID-19 infection and lockdown during the last three months, the DMK president said the terms of reference of the committee suggest that the focus of the government was on increasing tax revenue. “Generally, measures would be taken on rescue, relief and rehabilitation basis during disasters. Here, rescue is not complete and relief has not reached even a moderate level,” Stalin alleged.

Criticising the three-month time given to the committee to table the report, Stalin advised the government to include the aforesaid representatives, collect an interim report from the committee in a month and start economic restructuring and reform measures to prevent people from being affected further. Remarking that the object of the financial report 2020-21 presented in the Assembly has changed owing to the coronavirus disaster, Stalin said the Chief Minister should plan anew and work on a war footing to bail out the state’s economy and restore normalcy.