Regional parties slam UPA's economic policies

Hyderabad, June 6 (UNI) Alleging that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government was pursuing ''anti-people'' economic policies, the meeting of seven regional parties today advocated a New Economic Policy(NEP) to take the fruits of development to the common man and rescue the farm sector from deep crisis.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, AIADMK supremo and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha claimed ''Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself has admitted that though the growth rate is impressive, the benefits have not reached the commonman.'' The meeting expressed concern over the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities ever since the UPA took over the reigns of administration, burdening the poor and the middle class, she said and blamed the ''wrong'' economic policies of the Manmohan Singh Government.

Accusing the UPA Government of providing a ''raw deal'' to farmers, she said ''a foreign-educated Prime Minister, Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahuluwalia were out of touch with the problems of the peasants in the country.

''We cannot allow agricultural growth to decline,'' she said, demanding that the Centre increase subsidies to the farm sector to the level in the USA to rescue the farm sector.

Taking strong exception to State Governments entering into an understanding with Industries and purchasing land from farmers at a rock bottom price through ''intimidation'' for Special Economic Zones, the meeting wanted the Industries themselves to directly negotiate with the farmers, she added.

UNI