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Updated: Mar 26, 2020 12:28 IST

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to Prime Minister, suggesting steps to the government to tackle the spread of coronavirus disease Covid-19. She also welcomed the 21-day lockdown announced by PM Modi.

Highlights Sonia Gandhi welcomed the 21-day lockdown announced by PM Modi

She gave 8 suggestions to the government to tackle the coronavirus crisis

This is Gandhi’s second letter to the Prime Minister in four days

“The 21-day nation-wide lockdown announced by you as a measure to fight the coronavirus is a welcome step. As president of the Indian National Congress, I would like to state that we will support and collaborate fully with every step taken by the Union government to ensure the containment of the pandemic,” Gandhi wrote in her letter.

“It is in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation therefore, that I would like to suggest some measures that I believe will help us to address the massive health crisis we are about to face and to ameliorate the immense economic and existential pain that vulnerable sections of our society will soon be subject to,” she further said in the letter.

More on Covid-19:

• Covid-19: Your guide to staying safe

• Covid-19: What you need to know today

• How coronavirus is different from seasonal flu and common cold

She then sought measures to protect doctors, paramedics and ease the supply chain so that the health care professionals do not contract the virus.

“I sincerely believe that implementing ‘NYAY yojana’ is the need of the hour. At this time of immense distress for the poor who are going to weather the major economic fallout of this pandemic, it will give them a basic economic resource to fall back on,” she said.

This is Gandhi’s second letter to the Prime Minister in four days, urging him to roll out emergency welfare measures.

In her eight suggestions, Gandhi demanded a dedicated Web portal with information about designated hospitals and construction of intensive care units and ventilators. She also requested the Prime Minister to put in place broad based social protection measures, including direct cash transfer, for daily wagers, MGNREGA workers, factory labour, construction and unorganised workers, fishermen, farm labourers and other vulnerable sections of the society.

She has also demanded deferring all EMIs for six months, and waiving of interest to be charged by banks during this period. The Congress president also suggested a comprehensive sector-wise relief package, including necessary tax breaks.