Economic revival uncertain due to govt's short-sighted policy decisions: Tharoor

December 14, 2021 17:55

The man-made migrant crisis of 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic combined with the government's "short-sighted" policy decisions has ushered in a period of "uncertainty" for the economic revival of India, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

"The country is witnessing "a crisis" amid the pandemic but its foundation has been laid by the government with its 2016 decision of demonetising Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes," he pointed out, while initiating a debate on the second batch of supplementary demand for grants for 2021-22.

"Our nation's economy continues to battle the significant forces of disruption that were set in motion by the COVID-19 pandemic and which can trace their way back in our country to the disaster of demonetisation," Tharoor said.

"While we all applaud the heroic efforts of our health workers, nurses, doctors and others in the medical fraternity, the truth is the virus combined with the short-sighted policy decisions of this government has ushered in a period of uncertainty for the economic revival of the country," he said.

"We have been seeing crises everywhere we look. The foundations of the economy have been laid low ever since demonetisation," the Congress leader added.

Tharoor lashed out at the government over the budgetary allocations proposed in the Union Budget presented in February this year and said the government, with its supplementary demands for grants, has continued with its "usual combination" of "high rhetoric, grand ambition, exaggerated numbers and unrealistic targets, all diluted with underwhelming allocations to crucial sectors".

The supplementary demand for grants "clearly" indicates "a gross miscalculation" on the part of the government on expected expenditure, he charged, adding that "in doing so, it insults Parliament and undermines its control over the budget".

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