CPI hopeful of peoples budget: Raja

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Tiruchirapalli, Feb 20 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (CPI) was hopeful that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government led by the Congress (I) would present a ''Peoples Budget.'' Talking to newspersons here this evening, CPI National Secretary D Raja said the Leftists had met the Finance Minister P Chidambaram and put forth their demands, including priority to agriculture sector with more fund allocation to reduce the interest rates of all agricultural loans to four percent, provisions to get remunerative prices for the agro-products, excessive funding for agricultural infrastructure to carry out irrigation projects .

He said similarly the Leftists had urged the Central Government to give importance to education and public health by providing more fund allocation. We want the Central Government to take steps to provide six percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education and three percent of GDP on health care, he added.

He said it was precarious that only 0.8 to 0.9 percentage of the GDP was allocated to health care segment, one among the lowest in the world. This should be categorically enhanced, he added.

Mr Raja said the UPA Government did not adhere to the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), as it failed to fulfil its assurance that six per cent of the GDP would be allocated to educational sector.

Similarly, the assurance of two to three percent of the GDP to health care was never maintained, he alleged.

He said more than 80 per cent of the population were suffering from mal-nutrition and inadequate health care in the country.

He said the Leftists had advised on financial resources, including reduction or withdrawal of tax and concessions and tax holidays awarded to the corporate sector. Security transactions should be taxed duly as assured by Mr Chidambaram and the Centre should not concede to the demands of the Bombay Stock Exchange members, he added.

He said taxes on capital gain and wealth tax should be enhanced in the larger interest of the country. The relevant issues would be taken up in the budget session of the Parliament, he added.

UNI

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