CWC pleads for 'aam aadmi' ahead of budget

With Union Budget round the corner, Congress Working Committee on Friday asked the government to focus on the 'aam aadmi', a signal for enhancing allocation of funds for various welfare schemes like NREGA.

With Union Budget round the corner, Congress Working Committee on Friday asked the government to focus on the 'aam aadmi', a signal for enhancing allocation of funds for various welfare schemes like NREGA.

HT Image

"The CWC expressed satisfaction that the earlier budgets of the UPA Government had the common man at the centre and asked it to see that it continues in the same direction," AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters.

Replying to questions, Dwivedi said this was the overall direction of the CWC to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and no specific suggestions were made for the budget to be unveiled by him on February 26 in the Lok Sabha.

After consultation with the CWC, Mukherjee is expected to meet the office-bearers of the AICC and different cells of the party soon to elicit their views for the budget.

While the meeting saw Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sharing concern of members over the issue of price rise, neither he nor Mukherjee spelt out the specific steps being planned to control inflation.

Driven by rising prices of pulses and vegetables, the food inflation touched a decade's high of 20 per cent in December before moderating a little bit in January.