NEW DELHI: Congress members on Tuesday urged Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram to provide reliefs in the coming budget to the common man, farmers and weavers and resist the temptation to reduce subsidy on domestic cooking gas.

Mr. Chidambaram went to the party headquarters here to take inputs from his colleagues, an exercise he conducted last year too in the budget-making process.

They urged him to consider imposing an expenditure tax on large spendings. Considering the distress in the agricultural sector, relief should be provided to coconut growers and paddy insurance extended to the village and block levels.

The Government could consider reducing rate on farm loans. If home loans were available at 7.5 per cent why shouldfarmers pay up to 16 per cent for buying a tractor, the Congress members asked.

They also mentioned the problems faced by artisans, weavers and cottage and rural industries, suggesting that allocations be raised to boost the rural economy. To assist self-help groups, the Government should consider increasing the interest rate on deposits and slashing it for loans.

Tribals' welfare

The welfare of tribals, the Scheduled Castes and other backward classes was also mentioned.

The Congress members called for special schemes for educated youth, a scheme for the urban unemployed in the form of employment guarantee and another for recovery of non-performing assets in banks, They said it should be ensured that the State Governments, especiallythose run by the Bharatiya Janata Party, did not take credit for implementing fully-sponsored Central schemes such as National Rural Employment Guarantee.

Mr. Chidambaram asked his colleagues to assess the budget at the end of the year by what was achieved as against what was promised.

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