By IANS,
New Delhi : The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday questioned the government’s sincerity in containing food inflation and said the hike in petrol and diesel prices had increased the troubles of the common man.
“For the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government, aam admi (common man) are those who earn more than Rs 25,000 a month. Increased prices of petrol and diesel have further hit the real aam admis,” senior party leader Yashwant Sinha said in the Lok Sabha while initiating the debate on the budget for fiscal 2010-11.
“There are no proposals in the budget to contain food inflation. The rate of inflation has to be brought down,” Sinha, a former finance minister, maintained.
He said the UPA government had announced the stimulous packages only to win last year’s Lok Sabha polls.
“Now, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is speaking for fiscal discipline and a long-term view. He will continue to speak like this for next four years, till the next general elections,” Sinha said.
The reference was to the prime minister’s recent statement that “any increase in prices does hurt some people, but we have to take a long-term view.”
Sinha questioned the government’s claim that there were sufficient foodgrain stocks in godowns. “If the stocks are three times than normal, why don’t they reach the market?” he asked.
He said the government was facing challenges in the area of infrastructure and there were only nominal provisions in the budget to meet these.
“The economy has suffered because of a lack of first class infrastructure,” he said.
Justifying the opposition walkout during the budget presentation, Sinha said it was “a spontaneous action” by the entire opposition against the proposal to increase fuel prices.
“Any one who knows parliamentary practice will know this (walk out) was the right of opposition,” he contended.
Prices of petrol and diesel have increased about 6 percent and 7.75 percent respectively after the government increased taxes and import duties in the central budget.