Lawmakers have said the upcoming budget for the fiscal year 2007-08 should give high priority to agriculture sector and infrastructure development.

In a discussion organised by the parliamentary committee on Finance at the Parliament Secretariat on Sunday, lawmakers said government must come up with radical policies for agriculture and rebuilding of infrastructure destroyed during the conflict.

UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said the economic policies of the government must adhere to the common principles of the eight parties and the interim constitution.

Saying that the current budget did not reflect the spirit of the people’s movement, lawmakers Jhalanath Khanal and Dr Ram Baran Yadav said the upcoming budget should address the demands of the people expressed during the mass movement and that sectors like agriculture, food supply and extension of electricity should get more subsidies.

Maoist lawmaker Janardan Sharma aka Pravakar termed the draft of the policies and budget presented at the beginning of the meeting by Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat as pointless. He said budget should be finalised as per the spirit of the 12-point agreement reached between his party and the seven parties.

Others parliamentarians asked the government to write off the debts of small farmers.

Dr Mahat in his presentation hinted at major spending on CA polls, management of the Maoist army, increased salary to government employees, among others.

The budget session of the parliament is to begin on Monday and prime minister is scheduled to present the policies and programmes of the government on July 4.