Ban Govt Ads, Foreign Visits & Transfer PM-CARES Money To PM's Relief Fund: Sonia Writes To PM

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting a slew of “austerity measures” to divert funds for combatting the coronavirus pandemic.

The first being imposing a “complete ban on media advertisements – television, print and online – by the Government and Public Sectors Undertakings for a period of two years.”

The PM had spoken to Sonia on Sunday asking for her party’s cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and for her suggestions.

Secondly, she asked the Prime Minister to suspend the Rs 20,000 crore Central Vista beautification and construction project. “This sum could instead be allocated towards constructing new hospital infrastructure and diagnostics along with equipping our frontline workers with Personal Protection Equipment (‘PPE’s’) and better facilities,” she wrote.

Sonia also asked the Prime Minister to order a proportionate reduction of 30 percent in the expenditure budget of the Government and allocate the amount towards establishing an economic safety net for migrant workers, labourers, farmers, MSME’s and those in the unorganised sector.

“All foreign visits including that of the President, the Prime Minister, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, State Ministers, and bureaucrats must be put on hold in a similar fashion. This amount (which is around Rs 393 crores for just the Prime Minister and Union Cabinet’s trips in the last five years) can be utilised extensively in measures to combat COVID-19,” she said.

Sonia also suggested transferring of all money under ‘PM Cares’ fund to the ‘Prime Ministers National Relief Fund’ as “it seems like a waste of effort and resources to have and create two separate silos for the distribution of funds.”