Govt announces Rs 73,000 crore package to stimulate consumer demand, investment in economy

13 Oct 2020 Evaluate

In order to stimulate consumer demand and investment in the economy, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a Rs 73,000 crore package, including advance payment of a part of wages to central government employees and cash in lieu of leave travel concession (LTC). She said as much as Rs 11,575 crore would be paid as LTC allowance and advance to central government and PSU employees on the condition that they spend on non-essential goods before March 31. 

The minister further said states would separately be eligible to get Rs 12,000 crore in 50-year interest-free loans for capital expenditure, while the Union government will spend an additional Rs 2,500 crore toward capital expenditure on roads, defence infrastructure, water supply and urban development. She said all these measures are likely to create an additional demand of Rs 73,000 crore and the proposals would stimulate demand in a fiscally prudent way. She added that the government, which had in May announced a Rs 20 lakh crore 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' stimulus package, is pushing ahead with a full opening to try to boost the economy ahead of the usually high-spending festival season.

Sitharaman said the government will give its employees income tax-exempt cash vouchers in lieu of their entitled travel allowances this year. This cash will have to be spent on buying goods that attract 12 per cent or more GST -- a condition which eliminates the possibility of the cash being spent on essential items. She noted that Central public sector enterprises and banks will also follow the cue and give cash in place of LTC as travelling during the pandemic is near to impossible. Additionally, she said the government will as a one-time measure give Rs 10,000 salary loan to all its officers and employees as festival advance. These two measures are expected to create a consumer demand of about Rs 28,000 crore.

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