‘Cash transfer to migrant workers would spoil them’ felt the Govt, reveals Rahul Gandhi

In a shocking revelation, Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that sources within the Government had told him that transferring cash to migrant workers and the poor, as was being advised by economists, the opposition and civil society, would have made the workers stay back in their villages and would have delayed their return.

These sources within the Government explained that the Government sensed a huge manufacturing opportunity with global industry looking for an alternative to China. Direct cash transfer to the migrant workers would have sent out a wrong message to investors, the Government felt.

The Congress leader, who was conversing with the industrialist, said he had been puzzled by the Government’s dogged refusal to transfer cash and sustain the workers for three or four months. Former RBI Governor Dr Raghuram Rajan had estimated the cost to be around Rs 65,000 Crore, which, he felt, India could well afford.

During the conversation, which was recorded earlier in the week but was released on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi said, “…I said, forget the politics of it; just give me the logic of it. I want to understand the logic, I don’t understand the logic. And the response I got…(were a couple of bullet points).

Point no. 1- There is a huge opportunity for India with regards to China

Point no. 2- If we give a handout to our labour now, ‘bigad jayenge’. They will get spoilt and they will not come back from their villages.

Point no. 3- We might send a wrong message to the international community who we will need to invest in us.

Point no.4- Later we might consider giving money to these labourers and Small and Medium Scale businesses.

The Congress leader told Bajaj that he was not convinced by the logic. “Whoever is going to invest in India is going to invest not because of your image, they are going to invest because of what you are and what you have. And what you are and what you have is your economy.”

“So, the first logic has to be, defend that economy. If you defend that economy well, you’ll have an image and you’ll succeed in inviting whoever you want here. If you don’t have an economy left, there is nothing…”

The Congress MP also pointed out that the Government’s decision to ease the lockdown, even when cases of COVID-19 are peaking, vindicated what Congress leaders had suggested all along. Decentralisation was the key and states should have been left to fight the virus.

Different states have come up with different solutions and strategies. Punjab is dealing with the pandemic in one way, Chhattisgarh in another. This is how it should have been from the beginning, Rahul Gandhi added, but it is happening after a lapse of two months when the central government is leaving decisions to the states.

Bajaj quipped that citizens see this now as ‘passing the buck’ and not as part of any strategy.