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Tag: assurances

  • TMC misleading backward castes in Bengal with fake assurances: BJP

    TMC misleading backward castes in Bengal with fake assurances: BJP

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    Kolkata: Accusing the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal of misleading members of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities with “fake assurances”, BJP leader Sudip Das on Monday asked them to be “cautious” about the ruling dispensation’s game plan in future.

    Das, who led a rally of backward caste members of the BJP in Esplanade, said the TMC-controlled government is only interested in appeasing the minority community, overlooking the welfare of SC, ST and OBC members.

    “When it comes to delivering on the promises made to backward caste community members, including Matuas, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee always fails. Members of Dalit and general category are overlooked when it comes to hiring them for state government jobs,” he alleged.

    In sharp contrast to the “double-faced policy” of the TMC regime, the BJP government at the Centre has shown its commitment to backward caste and Dalits by nominating personalities like Ramnath Kovind and Droupadi Murmu for the post of President, Das, the BJP state SC Morcha chief, said.

    “There are around 2.20 crore members of various backward communities in the state with several assembly seats reserved for them. If we all get together against the injustice meted out by the state government, the hypocrite anti-Dalit TMC can be defeated,” he stated.

    Das also claimed that “majority of those killed in TMC terror after the 2021 assembly poll results belonged to the backward caste”.

    The rally, attended by over 500 members of SC, ST and OBC members, was also addressed by BJP MLA Ambica Roy and several other leaders belonging to the morcha.

    Making light of the allegation, TMC state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that his party gives little importance to what the BJP says.

    “None should teach us ways to show respect to Matua community members. Our chairperson Mamata Banerjee has been a great admirer of Matua sect founder Harichand Thakur and ‘Baroma’ Binapani Devi.

    “The TMC has always worked for the welfare of backward community members including Matuas,” he added.

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    #TMC #misleading #castes #Bengal #fake #assurances #BJP

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • After India, China gives financing assurances to Sri Lanka for IMF bailout package

    After India, China gives financing assurances to Sri Lanka for IMF bailout package

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    Colombo: China has given debt-ridden Sri Lanka the financing assurances required by the IMF to unlock a USD 2.9 billion bailout package for the country, days after India strongly backed the island nation’s efforts to secure the loan from the global lender to recover from its worst-ever economic crisis.

    The Sunday Times newspaper reported that China’s Exim Bank delivered a letter on Saturday granting Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on repayment and agreeing with the International Monetary Fund’s extended fund facility (EFF).

    The report was confirmed by Sri Lankan officials who did not want to be named.

    The Chinese response came close on the heels of India stepping in first to issue the necessary assurances last week.

    India’s ministry of finance last week issued a letter to the IMF to confirm its support to Sri Lanka on the issue of debt restructuring, ahead of the visit by the external affairs minister S Jaishankar to Colombo which concluded on Friday.

    Jaishankar during his visit also announced that India has given the required assurances to Sri Lanka for the bailout package.

    Sri Lankan officials said that China had agreed to a short-term suspension of what Sri Lanka owed and expects Sri Lankan creditors to get together to work out the medium and long-term commitments.

    The IMF in September last year approved Sri Lanka a 2.9 billion dollar bailout package over 4 years pending Sri Lanka’s ability to restructure its debt with creditors — both bilateral and sovereign bond holders.

    By the end of June 2022, Sri Lanka owed nearly USD 40 billion to bilateral, multilateral and commercial loans, according to the figures released by the Treasury.

    Chinese loans amounted to 20 per cent of the total debt owed and 43 per cent of the bilateral loans.

    Sri Lanka in April declared its first-ever debt default in its history as the economic crisis triggered by forex shortages sparked public protests.

    Months-long street protests led to the ouster of the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in mid-July. Rajapaksa had started the IMF negotiations after rejecting to tap the global lender for support.

    With assurances from creditors, the 2.9 billion dollar facility could get the IMF board approval in March, officials said.

    Sri Lanka has introduced painful economic measures such as tax hikes and utility rate hikes. Trade unions and opposition groups have organised protests against such measures.

    The IMF bailout has been put on a halt as Sri Lanka pursues talks with creditors to meet the global lender’s condition for the facility to help it get through its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. Earlier, Sri Lanka completed its debt restructuring talks with Japan.

    The IMF facility would enable the island nation to obtain bridging finance from markets and other lending institutions such as the ADB and the World Bank.

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    #India #China #financing #assurances #Sri #Lanka #IMF #bailout #package

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )