New Delhi: Government on March 7 came under a scathing Opposition attack in the Lok Sabha for "bleeding" the farmers by hiking diesel and fertiliser prices, taking no steps to check the growing army of unemployed and spending less on the social sector.

Participating in the resumed debate on the General Budget, Congress member Jyotiraditya Scindia said the economy was on a "downward spiral" with the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate lower than before, a negative growth in agriculture and industrial sectors and fiscal and revenue deficits "overshooting" estimated levels.

He said 70 per cent of the tax revenue was going in making debt service payments while the revenue collection targets fixed in the Budget were "unachievable".

Stating that luxury items had been made cheaper and essential ones costlier, Scindia castigated the government for failure to properly implement public distribution system to prevent starvation deaths and spending less and less on education, besides taking policy decisions which were increasing unemployment.

In the same vein, Rupchand Pal (Communist Party of India-Marxist) described the Budget as a "roadmap to further pauperisation and more joblessness".

M A K Swain (BJP), while supporting the Budget, asked how loss-making PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) were turning into profit-making ventures soon after they were being privatised. He also wanted government to reduce mobile phone rates and increase the MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Areas Development Scheme) fund from Rs two crore to Rs three crore.

Bhratruhari Mahtab (BJD) wanted debt-restructuring scheme for those states whose debts were unsustainable.

PTI