No amount of headline management with GDP, GST numbers can hide economic distress: Cong

Hitting out at the government, the Congress said on Tuesday that ''no amount of headline management'' with GDP growth numbers and GST revenues can hide the economic distress faced by a majority of Indians as it cited a surge in the demand for work under the MGNREGA scheme.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the only time the demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was more was during the once-in-a-century pandemic, reflecting the economic distress in rural India.

''The Modi government does a huge song and dance about 'record GST revenues', which is nothing but an expected mathematical reality...but you won't hear the drum-beaters talk about the record numbers of people demanding MGNREGA work in May -- more than 3 crore households,'' he tweeted.

''No amount of headline management with GDP growth numbers and GST revenues can hide the economic distress faced by majority of Indians,'' he said.

He said the rise in demand for work under the job guarantee scheme ''shows the level of economic distress in rural India, something we repeatedly witnessed during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.'' The Congress has accused the BJP dispensation of slashing the allocation for the MGNREGA scheme, started during the erstwhile government led by the party, and demanded that it be increased.