Tuesday, February 21 2006 12:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A week ahead of presentation of the Union Budget 2006-07, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today (Feb 21,2006) said tax collection systems have to be significantly strengthened, unproductive expenditure curtailed and wasteful utilisation of resources eliminated to finance priority programmes like Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

"The Budget will be presented shortly. I am sure that our flagship programmes like the Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Bharat Nirman, the National Rural Health Mission, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid-day Meal Scheme, ICDS and the National Urban Renewal Misssion will be adequately funded," she said.

Addressing the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Gandhi, who is also CPP Chairperson and heads the UPA, pointed out that Finance Minister P Chidambaram had heard the party's concerns relating to welfare of kisans,women's self-help groups, welfare of handloom weavers and social security for workers in the unorganised sector.

She was referring to the interaction Chidambaram had with Congress leaders at AICC headquarters last week.

In the CPP meeting, the first in the Budget Session, Gandhi also touched upon the Iran issue and the nuclear agreement with the US and expressed confidence that the Government would always give paramount consideration to the protection of India's short-term and long-term strategic and national interests.