'First step in right direction': Rahul Gandhi backs Centre's relief package for the poor

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the fiscal stimulus package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore announced by the centre to help the poor and migrant workers of the country is the "first step in the right direction" towards providing relief to the economically weaker section of the society of India in dealing with the financial difficulties arising out of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.

The Congress leader also said that India "owes a debt" to its farmers, daily wage earners, labourers, women and the elderly - essentially the sections of the society who are bearing the brunt of the coronavirus lockdown.

"The Govt announcement today of a financial assistance package, is the first step in the right direction. India owes a debt to its farmers, daily wage earners, labourers, women & the elderly who are bearing the brunt of the ongoing lockdown," Rahul Gandhi posted from his official Twitter handle.

Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, as part of the central government, unveiled a fiscal stimulus package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore to help the poor and migrant workers of the country. "No one will go hungry," Sitharaman said while unveiling the schemes, highlighting that the government's priority is to help the poor deal with the financial hardships arising out of this coronavirus-necessitated lockdown. Besides the poor, the scheme also keeps other marginalised sections of the society in mind - such as women, pensioners and the differently-abled.

Read more about the measures that were announced here.