Cong core group meets ahead of union budget

New Delhi, Feb 25 (PTI) Ahead of the presentation of theunion budget, top Congress leaders today held parleys withparty President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister ManmohanSingh.

This is the first Congress Core Group meeting after thedecision to constitute a JPC there by ending the deadlockbetween the government and the opposition that had washed outParliamentary business in the entire winter session.

After giving in to the opposition''s demand on JPC toprobe 2G spectrum scam, the party has argued though such apanel will not serve any additional purpose, it agreed to JPCto save only the budget session as Parliament from beingwashed out.

The union budget will be presented on March 28 and thegovernment is likely to announce new sops for the common manand the lower middle class at a time when it is facing theheat of corruption.