SHIMLA: The State unit of Congress has expressed concern over the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the economy of Himachal Pradesh.
This was stated by former chief minister Virbhadra Singh in a letter to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, copies of which were issued to media here on Saturday.
Mr Singh said the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) after a video conference on April 28, authorised him to take up all important matters of public importance with the state government and give suggestions to revive the economy which has adversely affected the state.
“We know that at present all business, industrial, tourist, other economic activities have been totally closed in the state because of lockdown or curfew since 22 March 2020,” he said.
The party stated that sectors like agriculture, horticulture, education, health and employment etc have taken a beating in the wake of pandemic.
The CLP decided to constitute a high-level committee consisting of various experts drawn from various important economic sectors to make study of the damage caused during this period and to make specific suggestions for the revival of all economic sectors in the state.
Mr Singh said the recent untimely heavy rains and hails in the state has badly damaged the crops .
Congress demanded that the state should come forward, get the damage assessed and provide immediate relief to the farmers .
He said that because of totally disturbed marketing facilities farmers are made to either throw their vegetable crops or they are made to sell the vegetables at less than the production cost causing huge losses to the vegetable growers.
The state government is requested to provide minimum support price or market these produce through government marketing organisations.
Mango, litchis and similar fruit crops have also been badly damaged because of excessive rains and hails.
This also needs immediate Government intervention to provide adequate relief to the growers in lower areas.
The Octogenarian leader said excessive rains and hails have badly damaged apple crops in the entire apple growing areas.
Damage caused are required to be assessed through revenue agency and relief provided to the growers .
Ensuring supply of carton boxes in all apple growing areas in time and in sufficient quantity is also one of the main responsibilities of State Government since the main economy of people in these areas is only apple crop.
In view of present lockdown or curfew, the major problems for the apple growers would be transportation, availability of pesticides and fungicides and mainly marketing of crop in various parts of the country.
Even the ‘LADANIS’ (apple traders)and forwarding agents will not be able to play major role in the marketing.
The State has to take over this main responsibility of marketing of apple crop through State Government marketing corporations of HPMC and HIMFED.
These organisations have effective network of collecting and marketing setups within the state and even outside the State.
During this period, the tariff on electricity and demand charges may sectors.
The bank loan installments (EMI’s), bank interests, interest on cash credit limits and other statutory liabilities are required to defer and interest rates reduced to bare minimum for a period of 12 months to provide relief to people engaged in these sectors.
The entire staffs engaged in tourism or industry sector are totally out of work in this period.
The State should subsidize at least salary of such employees for six months by way of contribution.
Congress saught relief in all lease, licenses, Government rentals and excise fees as well as property taxes should be suspended from March 2020 onwards.
LPG Gas cylinder to commercial entities including hotel should be charged at domestic rates in these sectors during this period, the Congress veteran said.
The 30 per cent sewerage cess levied on bills for from the people and customers should waived off by the Municipal Corporation for all tourism establishments.
The private educational institutions are unable to pay salaries their teachers and staff as Government decided these institutions should not charge fee from the students this period, he stated.
State has to step in and help institutions and provide total grant for payment of salaries teachers and staff.
It should ensure minimum basic facilities including ventilators, testing kits, rapid test facility, masks, sanitizers, PPE’s and basic medicines are made available in all health institutions in sufficient quantity.
The number of employment days under MANREGA scheme should be increased from 100 days to 200 days in a year.
State should immediately provide relief to those youth who returned state leaving their livelihood by giving special unemployment allowance for this period.
Government should demand “compensation package” from the central government to compensate total losses on state resource generation and imposition of lockdown, he added. (AGENCIES)
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