CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday requested the Prime Minister for additional funding as well as allotment of essential commodities to support workers from the unorganised sector, agricultural labourers and others if the lockdown period is extended. He said these workers could be provided Rs 2,000 per family.
Besides, the Chief Minister urged the Centre to supply two lakh Rapid Test Kits to Tamil Nadu immediately as testing of the contacts of those infected by the coronavirus had to be carried out.
Palaniswami made these requests while participating in the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Chief Ministers of other states.
Thanking the Prime Minister for releasing Rs 510 crore under SDRF, the Chief Minister said the 15th Finance Commission methodology had resulted in Tamil Nadu getting only 64.65 percent increase under SDRF, while for other states, it is 120.33 percent.
Pointing out that Tamil Nadu had been facing many natural disasters continuously over the years - Vardah in 2016, severe drought followed by Ockhi cyclone in 2017, Gaja cyclone in 2018 and still got lesser allocation under SDRF, Palaniswami requested an ad hoc grant of Rs 1000 crore from NDRF immediately to procure medical and protective material.
“At this hour of prolonged lockdown, we should not allow a food crisis in the country. We should give total support to agriculture and I request you to announce a special package for agriculture and horticulture promotion,” the Chief Minister suggested.
He also said that train and flight services should not be resumed and appealed to the Prime Minister and other Chief Ministers not to allow inter-state passenger movement.
The Chief Minister said 50 percent of the 2020-21 Finance Commission grants to urban and rural local bodies and 50 percent of the revenue deficit grant could be released now. The GST compensation due for December-January 2019-20 should be released immediately. The ways and means limit of the states which was increased by 30 percent by RBI should be doubled and the advances availed in the fiscal year 2020-21 should be made interest-free.
The Chief Minister also reiterated his earlier demands including a grant of Rs 3,000 crore for procuring PPEs, N-95 masks, ventilators etc., Rs 9,000 crore for launching a comprehensive plan for combating COVID-19 and its impact on the state’s economy, and increasing the fiscal deficit limits of three percent of GSDP to 4.5 percent for the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21.