The Congress party on Sunday criticized the Centre for deepening economic inequality, citing the World Bank’s ‘Poverty and Equity Brief for India’ released this month. It demanded urgent GST reforms, end of corporate favoritism, and expanded welfare to address the wealth gap.

BulletsIn

• Congress cited World Bank report to slam Modi government.
• Accused Centre of embedding inequality into economic growth.
• Report shows fall in extreme poverty but flags rising inequality.
• Rural poverty fell from 18.4% to 2.8%, urban from 10.7% to 1.1%.
• 378 million people lifted out of poverty since 2011-12.
• Congress credits progress to UPA-era policies like MGNREGA, NFSA.
• Warned new data methods may understate actual poverty, inequality.
• Pointed wage gap: top 10% earn 13 times more than bottom 10%.
• Demanded higher MGNREGA wages, expanded NFSA coverage.
• Called for urgent GST reforms, end of “tax terrorism,” more income support.