Formerly Chief Technical Advisor to UN and FAO bodies and Convener, Forum for a Sustainable Environment Dr S Jeevananda Reddy cautioned the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that sops announced by him in his address to the nation two days ago would makes poor to become poorer and make rich to become richer. In a open letter to the Prime Minister, he expressed the view that “you are trying to cover bad policies like demonetization scheme through gimmicks”.

In fact, he said that the `mass movement’, as described by the prime minister himself, has made 95 per cent of Indian adult population to stand in `Qs’ to collect their money from the banks at the cost of their bread earnings and domestic chores. He also accused that the printing of new currency to replace the old has wasted public money and the valuable time of bankers and public. However, Reddy felt that this has helped the Prime Minister to divert people’s attention from poor governance.

Reddy surprised that Modi’s address did not touch on the real issue of black money. For example, he said that Modi did not tell to the nation how much black money the government could muster? Who are the real beneficiaries and who are the losers from that scheme? Moreover, he deplored that the scheme helped the black moneyed people to convert the black in to white with the new currency notes.

He also ridiculed the Prime Minister’s claim that “the dishonest will not go free” as at the same time in Arunachal Pradesh, 33 out of 43 of ruling party MLAS joined BJP with 14 and forms a BJP government. He also reminded that Modi’s announcement of sops came just before elections to five states.

He questioned logic behind Prime Minister providing 8 per cent interest to senior citizens on FDs fixed for ten years and that too limited to Rs 7.5 lakhs stating that would receive less then Rs 6,000 per month as interest. He asked are even half of senior citizens can be alive by the time FD matures.