The Opposition said the Economic Survey, tabled in Parliament on Monday, is not in sink with the ground realities. Both the Congress and the Left alleged that the Survey provides no direction at the time of an economic crisis.

Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the Survey repeats ad nauseum that at the end of 2021-22, the economy would have recovered to the pre-pandemic level (2019-20). “In plain language, it means that on March 31, 2022 the GDP will be at the same level as it was on March 31, 2020. It means that it has taken two years to go back to where we were on March 31, 2020,” Chidambaram said.

He said the two years have impoverished people. “Millions of jobs have been lost; 84 per cent households have suffered loss of income; 4.6 crore have been pushed into poverty; India ranks 104 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index. This is a time for contrition and change (of approach), not for boasts and no change,” he added.

‘Economy shows weakness’

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Survey revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Wonderland. The ground realities are job gap of 200 million, 4/5th of households had income loss, 230 million additionally pushed to poverty, global hunger index, India falls further - ‘country with serious level of hunger’,” Yechury said.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Survey is a classic case of “what statistics say” versus “what they actually reveal”. “It clearly reveals ‘Intrinsic Weakness of the Economy’ and the ‘Gross Economic Mismanagement’ by the Modi Government. Growth Numbers reveal that even in 2021-22, economy will be of the same size as in 2019-20. Government should be ashamed of the economic ruin caused by misplaced priorities,” he said.

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