HD Kumaraswamy Wants Covid-19 Tax On 'Super Rich' To Compensate For Economic Losses

The former Karnataka CM also said that spending power of the consumer has depleted and thus the government must cut the petrol and diesel prices.

Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy said that GDP growth rate is expected to fall to a historic low. (File Photo/ Getty)

Bengaluru: Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka HD Kumaraswamy on Monday demanded that the government must announced new schemes to save livelihoods of people, especially those in the unorganised sector including farmers, construction workers, cab & auto drivers, garment workers, etc. In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy cautioned the Central government that the economy, which has come to a standstill due to the Coronavirus pandemic, is unlikely to bounce back anytime soon and thus it is important for the government to lower the cost of living. The former Karnataka CM also said that spending power of the consumer has depleted and thus the government must cut the petrol and diesel prices. Extending a much debatable suggestion, Kumaraswamy said that the loss of revenue may be offset partially by imposing Coronavirus cess on the ultra rich.

The economy won't bounce back within a very short period. It is important to lower the cost of living as spending power of the consumer has depleted. The govt must cut the petrol/diesel prices. The loss of revenue may be offset partially by imposing COVID cess on the ultra rich.

— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) April 27, 2020

Citing RBI and international economic agencies, he said that GDP growth rate is expected to fall to a historic low. "Such a dire situation calls for citizen centric measures like full or partial waivers of EMIs, rents, school fees and other levies," Kumaraswamy tweeted. Earlier in the day, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Monday demanded that the Karnataka government announce a special package for farmers who are on the verge of quitting agriculture as their profession following losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. "Please announce special package for the farmers to bail them out of the loss due to the lockdown," Deve Gowda said. Drop many of the schemes in the budget but don't leave the farmers in distress," Gowda said in his letter to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa. The JD(S) supremo said the way relief has been announced for the milk producers by procuring the unsold milk and distributing it to the slum dwellers, the same assistance should be provided to the farmers of the state. The JD(S) supremo has been championing the cause of farmers in the state and highlighting their sufferings. On April 3 Gowda has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the plight of farmers, labourers and the middle class people due to the lockdown.