UPA takes several steps for developments: FM

Mangalore, May 12 (UNI) The UPA government at the Centre has taken several steps for the development of the country during the last four years, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said today.

Addressing a press conference here, he urged the people of Karnataka to support the Congress for the overall development of the state.

He claimed that the country's growth rate had touched 8.5 per cent during the UPA's tenure. It was just 5.5 per cent during the NDA regime, he added.

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Right to Information, Insurance Scheme for BPL families were the major programmes implemented by the Centre, he said.

He said the Centre had already taken several steps to bring down the prices of essential commodities.

The steel industry had already agreed the Centre to reduce prices, and discussions were going on with cement companies to take similar steps to reduce prices, he said.

If the cement companies failed to reduce the prices to a moderate level, the government would not hesitate to take action against them, he added.

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