Congress leader P Chidambaram and former Union Minister has labelled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of a Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package as a "headline and a blank page", and said he was looking forward to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman filling the bank page. On Tuesday, PM Modi on his fifth address to the nation on coronavirus pandemic announced financial incentives, adding to previously announced packages, for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore, roughly 10 per cent of India's GDP, to tide over the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the economy.
The package includes Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s assistance and a Rs 1.74 lakh crore fund announced earlier, days after the country went into lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus. Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to address a series of press conferences from today to give details of the package.In tweets, the Finance Minister said: "This shall not be just a financial package, but a reform stimulus, a mindset overhaul, and a thrust in governance." PM Modi also emphasized on "Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)" in his address to the nation.