Vajpayee confers with parties on subsidies issue

Vajpayee confers with parties on subsidies issue
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, MARCH 14: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today gave no hint of any rollback of the cut in subsidies on fertilizer and PDS prices but said a dialogue was on with various parties, including the allies, on the issue.

Justifying the reduction in subsidies that led to hike in fertiliser and PDS prices, he told a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party here that the decision was taken to maintain the fiscal health in view of the economic situation inherited from the previous regimes.

In the wake of criticism by political parties on the issue of subsidies, he said Government was having a dialogue with all parties, including allies, to discuss the steps to be taken in this regard, party spokesman Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.

On the criticism that after having repeatedly stated that the government would take hard decisions but the budget did not really reflect them, Vajpayee said, "We are running a coalition government and we have our own limitations."

He said the government had inherited a huge fiscal deficit and that no political motives be attached to steps taken by the government, Naidu said.

With Parliament having a three-week recess from this weekend, Vajpayee said the members should explain to the electorate the rationale behind the government decision in this regard.

Members said there was need to tackle effectively the disinformation campaign being carried out by political rivals on certain "non-issues".

Conveying his best wishes to the retiring members from Rajya Sabha, he said they should utilise the rich experience gained by them in expanding the party.