Congress MPRahul Gandhi has lashed out at the centre's decision to stop the hike inDearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) to all government employeesand pensioners in view of the country's financial situation amid the novelcoronavirus outbreak. In a sharply-worded tweet Mr Gandhi criticised the"inhuman and insensitive decision" and reminded the government croresof rupees could be recouped by suspending the ambitious bullet train projectand the Central Vista beautification scheme.

"It isan insensitive and inhumane decision of the government to cut DA (DearnessAllowance) of central employees, pensioners and soldiers serving the publicwhile battling coronavirus, instead of suspending the multi-million crorebullet train project and the Central Vista beautification project," RahulGandhi tweeted this evening.

On Thursdaythe centre stopped a hike in dearness allowances and reliefs for all governmentemployees.

In anotification on the subject the government said the move will help save Rs37,350 crore in financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22. A similar move will savestates Rs 82,566 crores, making for a combined saving of Rs 1.20 lakh crores,the notification said.

Theallowances will, however, continue to be paid at current rates.

Explainingthe need for the freeze, the government said there had been major increases inexpenditure on health as well as welfare measures for those affected by theoutbreak.

Earlier thismonth it was also announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi would take a 30 percent pay cut, along with central ministers and other MPs.

In additionto money spent on boosting health infrastructure, the purchase of testing kitsand that of protective equipment from China and other countries, the governmenthas also announced a Rs 1.75 lakh crore scheme to help migrants and poorersections of the society.

A separatefinancial package for the economy is also being devised, cabinet ministers havetold NDTV, amid repeated red flags over the falling growth rate and the impactof the coronavirus outbreak on multiple sectors, including the high-profileaviation industry.

While thedemands have strained funds, Mr Gandhi pointed out that crores earmarked forprojects like the Central Vista beautification project could be put to use atthis time.

Around Rs20,000 crore has been set aside for the Central Vista redevelopment project,which envisages extensive revamps to the existing parliament complex amongothers.

Thegovernment has also allotted Rs 5,600 crore for a bullet train project linkingfinancial capital Mumbai with Gujarat's Ahmedabad by 2022, to mark the 75thyear of Independence.

Mr Gandhi hadearlier also criticised the government's decision to divert "a smallfraction" of excess foodgrains into ethanol to manufacture handsanitisers. That decision was taken amid controversy over reports that millionswere going hungry during the lockdown.

Last month,as the lockdown started, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said fivekilograms of wheat (or rice) would be given to each person, free of cost, inaddition to a kilogram of pulses for every low-income family, through thepublic distribution system.