HP Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur hailed the announcements made by FM

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has hailed the announcements made under the Tranche V under the Atamnirbhar Bharat Package by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today.

While welcoming the decision of increasing the budgetary allocation under MGNREGA for the year 2020-21 by Rs. 40,000 crores from the existing provisions of Rs. 61,000 Crore. He said that this would go a long way in providing more assured employment to the people besides strengthening the rural economy.

Jai Ram Thakur said that the announcement of upgrading health infrastructure in rural and urban areas of the country to make the country capable of dealing with any COVID-19 like situation in the future was also a welcoming initiative that would help in strengthening health infrastructure, particularly in the rural areas.

He said that the Wellness centers would be ramped up and the district level hospitals in the country would be provided with a separate Infectious Disease Block.  He said the diagnostic lab network, particularly in the rural areas, would be strengthened and Health Labs would be established at the block level across the country. He said that this would totally revamp our health infrastructure and prepare the nation in meeting out any eventuality.

Chief Minister has also hailed the announcement of the Union Government regarding the Pradhan Mantri e-Vidhya Programme for digital education with multiple modes to encourage e-learning in the country.

He said that the One Nation One Digital Platform would be established and e-learning would be facilitated through dedicated TV channels. He said that this would facilitate the students in studying from their homes and their studies would not suffer due to any future lockdown. He said that special e-platform would help the visual and hearing-impaired children.

Jai Ram Thakur said that announcement of exempting SMSEs from being categorized as defaulter loans would ensure no insolvency proceedings against the MSMEs for the next one year. He said that proposal of bringing a new policy for the Public Sector Enterprises where all the sectors would be opened to the private sector. He said that this would help in the revival of sick PSUs of the State.

Chief Minister also welcomed the decision of the Union Government for enhancing borrowings limit of the States from the existing 3 percent to 5 percent of the GSDP. He said that the limit from 3 to 3.5 percent will have no conditionality, however, the next one percent of the borrowings (3.5 percent to 4.5 percent) would be available in four tranches of 0.25 percent each and each tranche would be tied to four reforms related to One Nation One Ration, Ease of doing Business, Power DISCOMS and ULBs.  He said that this would help the State in creating its own resources.