BJP criticises Centre's policy on SEZ

Special Correspondent

It will benefit MNCs, industrial houses

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Budget ignores common man's interests: BJP MP
CPI extending negative support to budget: Dasgupta
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NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday criticised the United
Progressive Alliance Government for handing over cultivable land for the
development of special economic zones (SEZs), thereby ignoring the
interests of farmers. The continuation of such a policy to benefit
multinationals and industrial houses would spell doom for the country's
agriculture, it warned.

Participating in the resumed discussion on the Union budget for 2007-08
in the Lok Sabha, K.S. Sangwan (BJP) said acquiring cultivable land for
setting up SEZs would lead to a drastic fall in farm production.
Besides, with compensation for the land acquired being inadequate, lakhs
of small and marginal farmers would be left with no source of livelihood.

The Government only provided "lip service" as the budget overlooked the
basic needs of farmers such as supply of water, power and fertilizers
while failing to provide remunerative prices for their produce. The
common man's interests had also been ignored and, therefore, the divide
between the country's rich and the poor would only get wider at a more
rapid pace.

While Mr. Sangwan sought to know why the Government chose to shelve the
project for inter-linking of rivers, another BJP member Lakshman Singh
pointed out that owing to inadequate funds from the Centre, many State
projects remained incomplete with huge cost overruns to boot.

CPI member Gurudas Dasgupta, while declaring that his party was
extending "negative support" to the budget, said the proposals showed no
sign of any consensus between the Left parties and the UPA. "This is not
a poor man's budget...a billionaire syndrome seems to haunt the budget."

Seeking the Government's admission that it had "failed" to address the
problem of unemployment, joblessness, he said: "I question the efficacy
of the Government's economic philosophy... This budget will produce more
billionaires."

Jaswant Singh Bishnoi (BJP) said the budget failed to pay proper
attention to agriculture and poor sections of society. The sharp rise in
prices was owing to the futures trading in commodities which benefited
speculators at the expense of farmers and consumers.

K. Yerrannaidu (TDP) said although at the helm of the country's affairs
were three noted economists — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek
Singh Ahluwalia — the budget failed to reflect the necessary policies to
help the common man. In particular, while the Government's tax revenues
were on the rise along with a spurt in foreign investments, the benefits
were not trickling down to the poor. M.P. Veerendra Kumar (JD-S) pointed
to the sharp supply constraint in agriculture and said that about 40 per
cent of inflation was owing to the hike in prices of farm products.

V. Radhika Selvi (DMK) asked for an increase in the income-tax exemption
limit for women to Rs. 1.95 lakh, as is applicable to senior citizens.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031508621200.htm