The Hindu : National : ‘Bold move to root out indebtedness’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

‘Bold move to root out indebtedness’

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday hailed the loan waiver for small and marginal farmers as an “epoch-making decision” and said budget 2008-09 demonstrated its ability to govern.

By doing the impossible, the party “which reigned in the 20th century is now moving forward to reign in the 21st century in the Indian political scenario,” the All India Congress Committee said in a statement here.

According to AICC media department chairman Veerappa Moily, the budget has translated into action Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement that XI Five-Year Plan “is for the poor.”

“Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Dr. Singh, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and the entire United Progressive Alliance government should be complimented and congratulated on taking the economy and the interest of the aam aadmi to their zenith.”

Highlighting some of the salient features of the budget, in particular the loan waiver for farmers, Mr. Moily said the Prime Minister and Ms. Gandhi would be remembered for their bold and innovative steps to root out rural indebtedness.

“While enabling the rural sector to create wealth, the budget has taken the country on a new trajectory of supernation which is the dream of India.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National