Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the nation on Tuesday. Photo/ANI
New Delhi [India], May 12 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced USD 265 billion fiscal stimulus to deal with COVID-19 situation in the country. The package is the second largest in Asia after Japan. “I announce a special economic package today.
This will play an important role in the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.’ The announcements made by the government over COVID, decisions of RBI and today’s package totals to Rs 20 lakh crore (USD 265 billion). This is 10 per cent of India’s GDP,” the Prime Minister said in his address to the nation .
“This economic package is for our small-scale industries, MSMEs, which are the means of livelihood of crores of people and is the strong base of our resolve for self-reliant India. To prove the resolve of self-reliant India, the emphasis has been given on land, labour, liquidity and laws, in this package,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi said the “economic package is for the country’s workers, farmers, who are working hard day and night for the countrymen in every season. This economic package is for the middle class of our country, who pays tax honestly and contributes to the development of the country.”
While most of the countries struggling with the coronavirus crisis have focused on financial packages only, India has gone much further in its efforts to revive the economy by effectively containing the virus as well and its impact on the people’s livelihood.
When other nations are being reactive in their response to COVID, India under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi is being proactive — going ahead with reforms for future-proofing India.
India’s package is not trickle down but empowers one and all. There is one great focus on labour, hawkers, street vendors, etc., who tend to always get neglected. India is ushering in reforms, improving governance systems and further liberalising its economy. Prime Minister Modi is drawing from his personal experience of disaster management, recovery and rehabilitation post-Kutch earthquake in 2001.
If the Kutch story is a reflection of his abilities to perform in adversity, the India story will truly make a grand story. Modi has given a clarion call to create a self-reliant India.
But this call for self-reliance is very different from the isolationist and protectionist self-reliance movements across the world. Self-reliance in Prime Minister Modi’s vision for India is neither exclusionary nor isolationist. There is a specific talk of improving efficiency, competing with the world as well as helping the world. (ANI)Â
Self-reliant India to ensure 21st century belongs to us: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised on a self-dependant India, saying that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the 21st century belongs to the country. “It is our responsibility to ensure that the 21st century belongs to India. The path to this is one — self-dependent India,” the Prime Minister said in an address to the nation.
He said that the COVID-19 crisis has brought an “opportunity for India”. “As a nation today, we stand at a very important juncture. Such a big disaster has brought a signal to India. It has given a message to us and brought an opportunity for us that is to be self-reliant whose soul is ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family),” he said.
Stressing that the human race has never learnt to give up, Modi said, “We will fight the virus by strictly following the guidelines. The way forward is a self-sustainable India. India’s definition of self-reliance takes into account the needs of a globalised world.” The Prime Minister highlighted that India has fought TB and polio successfully, setting an example for the world.
India‘s self-reliance to be based on five pillars
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India can become self-reliant by following five pillars — economy, infrastructure, systems, demography and demand. “Five pillars that India will stand on to become self-reliant are economy, infrastructure, systems, demography and demand,” the Prime Minister said in an address to the nation.
Modi said that the five pillars include an economy that takes quantum jumps and incremental gains and an infrastructure which is synonymous with a modern India. “A system that helps us realise dreams, which is based on tech-driven facilities, vibrant demography is our strength and we need to utilise the potential of demand and supply chain,” he said. The Prime Minister asserted that India needs to increase its demand and each stakeholder must be active.
Go ‘vocal for local’: PM Modi appeals people to endorse local products
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged people to buy and endorse local products like khadi, stating that COVID-19 time has taught made us realise the importance of local traders, craftsmen and brands. “Time has taught us that we must make ‘local’ the mantra of our lives.
Global brands that are there today were once local too. But when people there started supporting them, they became global. That is why from today, every Indian must become vocal for our local,” the Prime Minister said in an address to the nation.
“I request people to buy and endorse local products. We have done this before also with khadi and it worked very well. It is time for us to do our bit for our friends on the streets like street hawkers, daily wage workers, migrant labourers and fisherman,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that certain key announcements will be made soon for “friends on the streets”. Stressing that people need to buy local products and spread the word, he said, “I am proud to recollect that I had asked citizens to buy khadi and to support handloom workers. In a short time, demand and sales touched record levels. Khadi became a big brand because of you and we got good and effective results.” (ANI)
