Left accuses Govt of bypassing its suggestions on Budget

New Delhi, Jan 30 (UNI) With the Budget 2007-08 in the offing, the Left parties today accused the Manmohan Singh government of ''generally bypassing their suggestions'' on it, and cited the ''dismal'' state of agriculture, social sectors and the pro-liberalisation moves relating to the industrial and external sector in this regard.

The Left parties, who have already met Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the run-up to the Budget, seemed determined to put the government in the dock in case it failed to carry out policy proposals they have been suggesting to improve the lot of the farming community and the poor.

Both CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan bemoaned that the government had ''generally not accepted our proposals on the Budget.'' More than half-a-dozen suggestions made by them including on disinvestment, SEZs, land acquisition and sale of profit-making Navratna PSUs had ''seemed to fall on deaf ears.'' The Left leaders told UNI that they wanted to see much greater funds being earmarked for social development projects and creating ''vibrancy'' in the agricultural sector.

The four Left Parties-- CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc -- are preparing a joint note relating to economic policies to be submitted to the UPA government in the first week of February.

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