Observing that India's current account deficit had shot up and employment generation shown a decline, the CPI(M) asked on Monday the UPA government to follow the tenets of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) to mobilise resources, emphasise on agriculture sector and generate employment.
Reacting to the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament, party leaders Nilotpal Basu and Basudeb Acharia told reporters that the hike in global oil prices had adversely affected the prices of daily necessities like pulses and vegetables.
"Government has not attempted to reposition the taxation system on petro-products to partly absorb the global crude price hike," Basu said adding that 60 per cent of the price paid by the consumers were taxes. "Is there any correspondence between the basic cost (of petro-products) and the price paid by the consumer", the CPI(M) leader asked.
He lamented that the government had not shown the priority which was required to be given to agriculture as it was "not able to comprehend the gravity of the situation" prevailing in this sector.
Observing that the spending on social sector especially on education and healthcare was "inadequate", he said these issues which have been emphasised in the CMP have not been factored in the government's action, as per the Survey.
{{/usCountry}}Observing that the spending on social sector especially on education and healthcare was "inadequate", he said these issues which have been emphasised in the CMP have not been factored in the government's action, as per the Survey.
{{/usCountry}}On labour reforms, Acharia said a holistic view could not be taken on the matter without any provision of social security.
The incremental labour output, despite all shortcomings, is more than the incremental capital output, he said adding that shows the quality of labour was better.