Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed regret that the Uttar Pradesh government politicised the campaign to fight coronavirus and fundamental issues like quarantine, screening, coronavirus tests, supply of essentials were being ‘advertised’.
“Hunger cannot be isolated. Nothing is known about any decision taken by Team 11 set up by the chief minister on farmers and dairy sectors,” said the SP chief in Lucknow on Friday.
Akhilesh said that five crore people losing employment during two weeks of lockdown was a cause of serious concern and asked the government to step in and resolve the issue before people began starving.
He asked the government to ensure sufficient supply of food and medicine and ensure employment after the lockdown to the affected.
“Due to coronavirus spread followed by lockdown, more than 85 per cent people in private sector and 95 per cent in organised sector are facing difficulties. The situation is so severe that unemployment rate has shot up to 23 per cent and is set to spike further. Large number of workers and labourers in various states have been forced to migrate to villages,” he said.
The SP chief said the government should take cognisance of problems and prepare a roadmap to help families of those affected by unemployment.
“Otherwise the situation could become catastrophic and many may starve as well. The help of mere one or two thousand rupees per month to the youth is simply not enough,” he said.
The SP chief said that his motive to highlight the problems was to the bring them to the notice of the government.
“My party is not protesting just for the sake of it. The entire nation is united in the fight against coronavirus but the interests of the poor, labourers and weaker sections should not be ignored,” Akhilesh said.