NEW DELHI: The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Sunday urged the Centre to announce relief packages for sectors facing stress due to the pandemic. In a resolution at its two-day national council meeting, the SJM also expressed concern at the astronomical cost of cost of medicare at private hospitals.
Private healthcare providers should realise this is not the time for making profits, and ensure treatment with minimum cost, the outfit said. Its resolution also sought enhanced fund allocation for the rural jobs scheme, called the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which was conceived during the UPA regime and mocked at initially by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The outfit also demanded that the government come out with specific packages for varous sectors affected by the pandemic, including construction, fishing and horticulture.
“The SJM firmly believes that the mayhem caused by the pandemic can be overcome only by concerted efforts of every section of the society. In this unprecedented difficult situation of the country, the SJM suggests to consider and extend fiscal support to the vulnerable sections of the society in addition to free food grains, besides substantially increasing the fund allocation for MGNREGA to support rural employment,” it said.
Incentives for MSMEs
The SJM also sought a package for employment linked incentives to strengthen the MSME sector, adding the RBI should announce need-based moratorium to suit every sector and direct the banks for liberal monetary support.