Economic growth should percolate down to the aam aadmi: Left

New Delhi, May 3 (UNI) The BJP-led Opposition and the Left parties today sought to put the government in the dock over price-rise and inflation as the ruling front members projected the 9.2 per cent economic growth under the UPA dispensation as its main achievement.

Resuming the debate on the Finance Bill seeking to give effect to proposals in the Budget for 2007-08, the Left members made a strong plea in favour of adequate measures to ensure that the economic growth percolated down to the "aam aadmi," instead of helping the monopolists to become multinationals.

Senior Congress member K S Rao said the economic reforms initiated by the Narasimha Rao government had started paying dividends with the country achieving rapid strides in all sectors and faster economic growth.

He demanded that the government take immediate steps to simplify the tax laws.

CPI member C K Chandrappan said the budget was soft on the corporate sector and placed unbearable burden on the middle class and the common man.

While criticising the government for its failure to contain price rise, he said the corporate sector should be taxed proportionate to their assets.

"The economic policies being pursued by the UPA government had helped the rich to become richer," he said.

Mr Suresh Prabhu (Shiv Sena) sought measures to relieve the common man of the overburden caused by the payment of taxes at multiple levels. The flow of venture capital should be allowed to all areas and the present restrictions should be withdrawn.

DMK member V Radhika Selvi wanted immediate steps to bring down the prices of steel and cement.

Pointing out that Beedi workers in her constituency of Thiruchendur in Tamil Nadu were affected by respiratory diseases, she wanted the government to chalk out a new scheme to provide alternate jobs to them.

BJP member Kiran Maheswari regretted that the UPA government could not arrest price rise, despite several measures it had claimed to have taken.

She made a strong case for the women and the elder citizens paying income tax, suggesting that their standard deduction limit should be increased to Rs two lakh and Rs 2.50 lakh respectively.

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