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New Delhi: Corruption and inflation, the bugbears of UPA-2, dominated the discussions Congress functionaries had with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday. The meeting was held amid expectations in the party that a populist Budget would help check the negative tide against the government.
Party leaders are specifically hoping for income tax relief for the middle class and concessions for the rural populace as a budgetary antidote to the negativity post-2G spectrum scam. Mukherjee assured the members that prices would come down by March.
That the opposition's campaign on graft is playing on the government's mind was evident when Mukherjee opened the discussions at the AICC headquarters by explaining how the Centre had nothing to hide on black money, but was bound by secrecy clause in treaties with countries which had supplied names of foreign bank account holders. He is likely to touch on the issue in his Budget speech too.
Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan stressed that corruption and inflation were main the issues concerning the common man and demanded measures to satisfy people. Congmen: I-T sops to woo middle class
New Delhi: The twin concerns of corruption and inflation provide the backdrop for the Union Budget 2011 on February 28 as the Congress brass is working hard to counter an incessant stream of negative reports. The issues dominated the meeting finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had with party functionaries on Tuesday. Ved Prakash, one of the joint secretaries, called for state funding of elections. On inflation, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi demanded that essential commodities be taken off forward trading.
A senior leader said the expectations from the Budget reflected the thinking that the finance minister's offer to people would have an impact also on the polls in five key states soon after. The members, who included senior partymen, office-bearers and ministers, flooded Mukerjee with demands for concessions for key social groups like minorities. AICC secretary Vivek Bansal cited the Sachar commission to demand a hike in grants for schools run by the Aligarh Muslim University. Mohsina Kidwai and Shakeeluzzaman Ansari demanded a loan waiver for weavers on the lines of amnesty to farmers.
Partymen are hoping for an I-T rebate and rationalization of tax slabs which, they say, will counter the negative perception about the government among the middle-class and the service sector by cushioning them from inflation. There was also a demand for a check on fuel price hike.
Austerity, long identified by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as a vehicle to people's hearts and to counter negative perceptions, found a strong mention. R K Dhawan asked why repeated diktats for party leaders to observe austerity, simplicity and shun vulgar display of wealth had fallen on deaf ears. He demanded ostentatious weddings be taxed.
At the recent plenary, Sonia had exhorted partymen to embrace austerity.
Party leaders are specifically hoping for income tax relief for the middle class and concessions for the rural populace as a budgetary antidote to the negativity post-2G spectrum scam. Mukherjee assured the members that prices would come down by March.
That the opposition's campaign on graft is playing on the government's mind was evident when Mukherjee opened the discussions at the AICC headquarters by explaining how the Centre had nothing to hide on black money, but was bound by secrecy clause in treaties with countries which had supplied names of foreign bank account holders. He is likely to touch on the issue in his Budget speech too.
Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan stressed that corruption and inflation were main the issues concerning the common man and demanded measures to satisfy people. Congmen: I-T sops to woo middle class
New Delhi: The twin concerns of corruption and inflation provide the backdrop for the Union Budget 2011 on February 28 as the Congress brass is working hard to counter an incessant stream of negative reports. The issues dominated the meeting finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had with party functionaries on Tuesday. Ved Prakash, one of the joint secretaries, called for state funding of elections. On inflation, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi demanded that essential commodities be taken off forward trading.
A senior leader said the expectations from the Budget reflected the thinking that the finance minister's offer to people would have an impact also on the polls in five key states soon after. The members, who included senior partymen, office-bearers and ministers, flooded Mukerjee with demands for concessions for key social groups like minorities. AICC secretary Vivek Bansal cited the Sachar commission to demand a hike in grants for schools run by the Aligarh Muslim University. Mohsina Kidwai and Shakeeluzzaman Ansari demanded a loan waiver for weavers on the lines of amnesty to farmers.
Partymen are hoping for an I-T rebate and rationalization of tax slabs which, they say, will counter the negative perception about the government among the middle-class and the service sector by cushioning them from inflation. There was also a demand for a check on fuel price hike.
Austerity, long identified by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as a vehicle to people's hearts and to counter negative perceptions, found a strong mention. R K Dhawan asked why repeated diktats for party leaders to observe austerity, simplicity and shun vulgar display of wealth had fallen on deaf ears. He demanded ostentatious weddings be taxed.
At the recent plenary, Sonia had exhorted partymen to embrace austerity.
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