PM to explain hard decisions at Congress meet on Friday

Against the backdrop of attack over decision on FDI, hike in diesel and cap on LPG cylinders, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will highlight the reasons for these tough decisions on Friday at the Congress conclave with a pep talk to party leaders on how to dispel the "misgivings".

Sources said the Prime Minister will utilise the Congress meet in Surajkund, on the outskirts of Delhi, to explain to party leaders and cadres why these decisions had to be taken.

He is expected to underscore that these decisions were necessary as the country's economy is facing testing times on account of international situation and slowdown domestically.

The government has been under sharp attack over its decision to allow 51% FDI in multi-brand retail, hike in diesel prices and capping of subsidised LPG cylinders at 6 annually.

Singh is expected to spell out the positive impact of these decisions, particularly that on FDI in retail, the sources said.

He is likely to advise Congress leaders and cadres to work for dispelling "misgivings" on these issues.

The sources said that despite difficulties and transparency in government functioning, India has been witnessing rapid growth, drawing a parallel with China where everything is state controlled. This is expected to be articulated by the Prime Minister tomorrow.