FM to have pre-budget interaction with Congress

Congress is likely to pitch for more funding for social sectors and rural development in the forthcoming Budget.

Congress is likely to pitch for more funding for social sectors and rural development in the forthcoming Budget keeping in line with its electoral promise to promote the interests of 'aam aadmi'.

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These demands are expected to be articulated when Finance Minister P Chidambaram will be having a pre-Budget interaction with senior party leaders including AICC General Secretaries and CWC members at the Congress headquarters on February 14.

A section of partymen are against new taxes like Fringe Benefit Tax and banking cash transaction tax introduced last year and during the interaction some members are expected to demand a relook at them.

Chidambaram has already ruled out scrapping of FBT saying the tax was imposed in several countries to provide horizonal equity in the tax system. But he has agreed to simplify FBT with a view to remove some of the glitches in its implementation.

Heads of AICC departments and frontal organisations and party secretaries would be among those giving their suggestions to the Finance Minister.

Sonia Gandhi had told the Parliamentary party during the winter session that like last year a pre-Budget interaction between the Finance Minister and Congress leaders was being organised at the AICC soon.