Ashok Gehlot, @ashokgehlot51, Chief Minister of Rajasthan :

• Requested PM Narendra Modi to immediately plan to launch a scheme on lines of ‘Food for Work’ scheme. Such a scheme is urgently rqrd for providing relief to garbage pickers,pushcart/rickshaw-pullers, nomad & other helpless ppl whose livelihoods r under threat due to lockdown.
• This scheme was initiated during the regime of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001-02 and gained much popularity as a measure of fighting drought.
• Discussed the issue with the PM during a video conference attended by the Chief Ministers of all other states from residence today.
• The state government compensated such vulnerable population by providing a cash amount of Rs. 2500 each to more than 31 lakh families, who are not being covered under any other social security scheme.
• The centre should also bring some scheme of compensation for such people so that they could get at least a minimum economic support. The Government of India has sufficient quantity of grains for such a scheme.
• For deciding the financial package to the states, a delegation of top officers could be sent for discussion with the Union Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Reiterated my demand to provide grant of Rs. One Lakh crore to state govts to deal with the global pandemic Covid-19.

• Payment of 1st instalment of grant shd be made based on population & later on instalments shd be made as per prescribed formulas of GST Council or Inter-state Council.
• Asked for an increase in the borrowing limit for state and the treasury deficit limit mentioned in the FRBM Act to 5% of the GDP.
• Demanded that recently the RBI increased the Wage and Means Advance limit by 30%, but looking to the current crisis, the facility of this advance payment to the state governments should be provided free of interest, so that the Covid-19 pandemic can be effectively dealt with.
• Demanded for grant of a moratorium of 6 months to the states by reassessing the payment of forthcoming instalments of outstanding loans due to RBI and other financial institutions under the Government of India.
• Apprised the PM about measures taken by the state government to give relief to the needy and vulnerable sections during the crisis. It is very important for the states to get sufficient help from the Centre to face a disaster like corona.
• In regard to the ongoing lockdown, emphasised on taking a collective decision by looking to the situation of the individual states and taking the respective state governments into confidence.
• Told PM Sh. Modi that the Government of Rajasthan took all possible measures to check swelling of Covid-19 pandemic. After successfully controlling the spread of infection in #Bhilwara district, different measures are being taken to stop the spread at other places in the state.

Once Rapid Test Kit are available, number & speed of tests could multiply so that infected patients are identified and quarantined well in time to stop spread of infection to other ppl.

• Farmers should be provided relief in such a tough time by increasing the purchase limit on MSP to 50%. Also, the FCI and NAFED etc. should urgently start the MSP procurement of crops in phased manner.
• The then Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee had announced a big stimulus package during the 2008 economic slump. Such a package should be announced for the industries during the current crisis, so that their financial situation could be strengthened.
• Suggested that there will be recovery at global economic scenario aftr lockdown ends & in sch situation,looking to possibilities of new export opportunities for India,from now onwards gvng interest subsidy through EXIM Bank & other incentives shd b considered to encourage exports