New Delhi, Dec 14 The Lok Sabha on Tuesday took up discussion on the second supplementary demand for grants for 2021-22, which includes Rs 62,000 crore for equity infusion in Air India Assets, along with allocations for fertiliser and food subsidies, and funds for MGNREGA.

Initiating a debate on the Bill, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed concerns over the state of the economy post the Covid-19 pandemic, and also blamed demonetisation for weakening the economy.

“We are gathered here when our nation’s economy continues to battle the significant forces of disruption that have been set in motion by the Covid-19 pandemic, which can trace their way in our country to the disaster of demonetisation. While we all applaud the heroic efforts of our nation’s healthcare workers, the truth is that the virus, combined with short-sighted policy decisions of this government, has ushered in a period of uncertainty,” Tharoor said.

He said the government allocations to key sectors were “underwhelming”. “The very fact that the Finance Minister has come back to us with such a large supplementary demand for grant, testifies to this,” he added.

“The government had budgeted a total expenditure of Rs 34.83 lakh crore in fiscal 2022. The gross additional expenditure she seeks is Rs 1.87 lakh crore, of which Rs 23675 crore would be the actual cash outflow. Of this, more than 80 per cent has been directed to five specific items, largest being equity infusion in the Air India assets, followed by subsidy for fertiliser and food, followed by clearance of past dues of exporters, and for the MGNREGA,” Tharoor said, giving details of the demands.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, meanwhile, said that the opposition should thank the Prime Minister and the BJP government for management of the pandemic.

“At least he could have spoken a line about what the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the workers of BJP did in the pandemic,” he said.

Talking about disinvestment in Air India, Dubey blamed the Congress-led UPA for the financial state of the company, which has now been sold to the Tata Sons.

“Since 2009-10, there has not been a single budget in which the government has not allocated crores of rupees to Air India. When the government of India felt we were taking away the tax money of people, the government decided to disinvest. It was a good decision by the Manmohan Singh government,” he said.

“To give Tata a debt-free company, we have brought these demands for grants. We wanted to disinvest last year as well, but no one was interested in buying,” he said.(UNI)