Cong holds deliberations on Budget Session

New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) With the Budget Session ofParliament less than a week away, Congress top brass includingparty chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singhheld deliberations today to chalk out a strategy.

This was the first interaction among the senior leadersafter Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also theLeader of Lok Sabha, convened an all-party meeting last weekto break the logjam in Parliament on the opposition demand fora JPC into the 2G spectrum issue.

Mukherjee had assured the opposition leaders that hewould get back to them after consulting the Prime Minister.

The entire Winter Session of Parliament was washed outfollowing the deadlock.

The meeting assumes significance as the government alsohas to decide on the bills to be brought in the upcomingsession as also give finishing touches to the budget 2011-12which will be presented by Mukherjee on February 28.

Mukherjee will be meeting party leaders at the AICCheadquarters tomorrow to seek suggestions from them on theBudget.

Experts say inflation, current account deficit,pressure for lowering down the import duty, providing levelplaying field to the domestic industries and increasing thegovernment revenue are some of the problems being faced by thegovernment ahead of the budgetary exercise.