New Delhi, June 14: With eyes on ‘aam aadmi’, Congress is expected to give its wish list to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee who is expected to meet AICC office-bearers on Monday to accommodate party’s views in the upcoming Union Budget.
The budget, to be presented in the first week of July, is likely to keep the focus on the ‘aam aadmi’ (common man) who was the trump card of the party, catapulting it to power in the Lok Sabha elections.
Party sources said in Mukherjee’s interaction as part of his pre-budget consultations, he will be told to keep focus on farmers, youth, urban and rural poor in a bid to keep the winning momentum going.
A series of state assembly elections are lined up in the next few months with Maharashtra going to polls later this year and Haryana and Jharkhand elections due early next year before the next Union Budget.
Congress is expected to ask the Finance Minister to build on the success of flagship programmes like NREGA and take it forward.
NREGA and loan waiver for farmers proved to be one of the major reasons for the success of Congress in Lok Sabha elections.
The party would also impress on Mukherjee to go for the enactment of the National Food Security Act which was promised in its manifesto. This envisages providing 25 kg of rice or wheat to every family living below poverty line (BPL) in either urban or rural areas at Rs three per kg.
As youth too played a major role in the party’s electoral victory, Congress is also expected to lay stress on the need for early implementation of the nation-wide skill development programme.
In its election manifesto, the BJP had promised an income tax limit of Rs three lakh per annum.
Congress sources said the party would ask Mukherjee to increase the income tax limit in view of the impressive performance of the party in urban areas and to consolidate its middle class vote bank.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had last week asked the Finance Ministry to ensure that the budget “adequately and appropriately” reflects the priorities and programmes outlined in President Pratibha Patil’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament.
PMO sources said the Prime Minister is keen to provide adequate allocation for flagship programmes and other measures are taken with regard to key sectors hit hard by the global downturn.
–Agencies