The Hindu Business Line : Left parties warn Govt on Budget

THE Left parties on Wednesday warned the Government that the lack of "pro-poor and pro-farmer" policies in the forthcoming Union Budget would erode the support base of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government.

Cautioning the Government against the move to privatise the airports at Delhi and Mumbai and the move to appoint Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, the Left parties hoped that the Government would not bring in any policies which would go against the spirit of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Mr A.B. Bardhan, expressed the hope that the Budget would reflect the concerns of the "toiling masses and the lower and middle classes".

The Budget proposals and its provisions, he said, should lay greater emphasis on the agriculture sector to ensure that the farmers across the country are not forced to commit suicide.

He said irrigation should receive the highest investment priority.

The Politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Mr M.K. Pandhe, said that only about Rs 10,000 crore would be required to implement the National Employment Guarantee Scheme despite what was being mentioned by some sections.