ba )VID-19 ECONOMIC PACKAGE IS A PEELED ONI FOR THE LABOUR, POOR AND NEE |: Tamil there is a saying to point out something which looks big and end result is nothing, as “Like a peeled Onion”. This is what is our PM's Covid-19 Economic Package announced for almost 6 hours in § to 6 days by the Finance Minister with regard to the labour, Poor and needy. From the entire package announcement it has become clear that the Govt. has once again reiterated its commitment to promote only Private interest. At present in our country the entire power and decision making is concentrated in one place only. No place for dissent or alternative opinion. Only praising and more praising for the Ruler. Here | would like to quote what Thiruvalluvar the great Tamil Saint who lived during the 4th Century in one of his 1330 Couplet (Kural) has told “Who not agree those around, no moderation know, in self applause indulging, swift to ruin those” Explanation :- He will quickly perish, who ignorant of his own resources flatters - CSRIKUMAR himself of his greatness, does not live in peace with his neighbours. After the big bang announcement made by the Finance Minister as usual the supporters of the government have started propagating all those big announcements and starting pouring all types of praisings on the PM and FM. One such Article was published in the New Indian Express, The Author Shri.Rajeev Kumar, Vice Chairman NITI Aayog in the preamble of his Article has stated the following: The twin mantra for the Government to stimulus in response to the unprecedented economic impact of COVID-19 has been to first ensure that the human cost of the crisis is minimized, especially for those at the bottom of the Pyramid, and two, to convert this crisis in to a opportunity by implementing old structural reforms that will go beyond repairing the damage to production capacity and enhance the overall supply response capabilities of the economy. The stimulus announced by theUnion Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman over 5 days recently is a carefully crafted, well balanced yet bold package, which will, in the coming days achieve both adjectives’. He continuous to write “Defence Production and Exports will get a new filip with the liberalization measures. Greater space. will be given to private businesses in sectors in which hitherto Public Sector Enterprises either a complete monopoly or a predominant presence” ‘Our country is facing today the greatest economic crisis since Independence. Almost all businesses are collapsed, 12 Crore people lost their job. Majority of the population will reach the starvation level in the coming days Immediately after the lockdown the Finance Minister announced a package to issue little extra food grains, Rs.500/- each for poor ‘women with Bank Account. Many report says that even 50% of our poor women do not have Bank Account. Subsequent to this the rescue package of 10% of the GDP announced by the Government with lot of Celebration and fanfare was not having anything to give any relief to labour, poor and needy. Even the Financial package announced to the Small and Medium Scale Industry is notevena loan but itis only a credit guarantee. The Migrant workers have become orphan in theit own mother land. In the rescue package these crores of Migrant workers were not given a single paisa The only announcement made for them is two months of Ration with either Rice or Wheat. The rescue package completely ignored the daily wage worker and the workers who are working in many of the Industries including Construction as Contract Workers. The demand of the Political parties and the Central Trade Unions and also the prominent economists of this country to provide some cash assistance of Rs.7500/- per month for two to three months has been completely ignored. The State Governments who are directly fighting the COVID-19 pandemic has not been given any share from the Central Fund Infact the State Governments are the one's who are spending a huge amount on the Public Health Care and other Sectors including Agriculture during this erisis. The Country now requires a massive investments in Public Health Programme to face the present crisis, since almost all the big Private Hospitals including the Multi Specialty Corporate Hospitals have closed down their operation. This is the time money is required to be pumped in to all sectors of the economy and all section of the people. Another wrong decision taken by the Government was to freeze the DA due to the Central Govt Employees and the State Govt. Employees and DR due to the Pensioners for 18 months. If this element was given to the Govt, Employees and Pensioners, that money must have again gone to the Market only.Inspite of all the above crisis the Govt. is only interested to help and provide all assistance to the Private Corporate Houses only, The Country has already suffered a lot in the hastily decided demonetization and the rolling out of GST. The Economic package has created panic in the minds of the lakhs of employees of Public Sector undertaking and almost 82 thousand employees of the Indian Ordnance Factories. All of them are worried about the future of their industry, their jobs and their own future. As already told in this Article apart from Job loss and unemployment, itis also seen from some survey and reports that poverty in India has risen between 2011-12 and 2017-18. The lacking of sincerity in announcement of "Self Reliance" is exposing the announcement made by the Finance Minister for outright privatization of Public Sector industries and to corporatize the Ordnance Factories and subsequently to privatise it, The Govt. instead of all these thetoric announcement should have straight away given direct cash support to the people who are suffering and to the Small Industries and Businesses to mitigate the hardship and this money so given to the individuals should have been poured in to the market. The Govt. have not leamed a lesson that in any emergency, in any crisis, the private corporates will never come to the rescue of the country and its people. During the COVID-19 lockdown and crisis it is only the Public Sector Banks which is serving the people, the Public Sector Industries and the Govt. Sector Industries in different sector are helping the Government to overcome the crisis. It is the Air India which has = a e E taken its Aircraft to different parts of the world and brought our Citizens back to our country. It is the Indian Railway which is carrying the migrant workers to their home town (it is shameful that the Govt. is charging the Ticket Fare from these poor migrant workers to their home town). It is the Ordnance Factories and the DRDO which has helped the Govt. in producing various PPEs required for the Health workers in the country. It is a thankless and insensitive Government. All of a sudden Atmanirbhar (Self Reliance) has become the buzz word of the Government. But the fact remains the Govt. relies either on the private corporate or the Multi National Corporates instead of relying on the Govt, Sector and Public Sector, Even the Defence is not spared. In the Defence manufacturing in India 74% of the Companies share will be now owned by the Foreign Arms manufacturers. To conclude many are celebrating this 20 Lakh Crore Economic package announced by the Finance Minister, but the major sections of the people of this country are pained and are feeling that they are completely ignored and that is the reality, The supporters of this package should clarify to the nation that how the Finance Minister's concept of “New horizon of growth, unleashing new investments, Boosting production and Creating jobs", is going to be a reality in the coming days. ATMANIRBHAR BHARATH