"Unless the consumers consume, how can the economy expand?" asked Singh, who took over as the country's new finance minister last week.

"It is very much part it. I have already given indications of it. And I hope soon to be able to come forward for something much more specific (to increase spending)," he said after the meeting of Council on Trade and Industry comprising top business leaders and policy-makers.

He gave no timeframe for issuing the proposals.

Singh was appointed finance minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle aimed at boosting the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government's flagging fortunes ahead of a spate of state elections and a federal poll that must be held by 2004. The minister also told reporters that the government planned to take another look at a decree allowing banks and financial institutions to recover bad loans.

He said the government's decision to review the decree stemmed from industry criticism that it was too harsh. The Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had said the country's economy was expected to grow at more than 6.0 percent in 2002/03 and vowed to accelerate privatisation of state-run firms. Prime Minister told members of the council that the GDP grew at 5.4 percent, up from 4.0 percent in the previous year. This year it is expected to grow beyond 6.0 percent.

R.S. Lodha, President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI), said the 5.4 percent growth has placed India among the league of one of the world's fastest growing economies but it is still off the double-digit growth that policy-makers say is needed to wipe out poverty in a nation of more than one billion people.

"May I say, when you say except for 5.4 percent, I don't know what else to say. I think that's a great thing. How many countries in the world can say with confidence that they are going to have that kind of growth. Number 1. Number 2 the feeling that we are getting overall between ourselves when we talk, that business sentiment was picking up. So that is what we relayed. At the same time we said that we need to give a boost to our competitiveness," Lodha told reporters after the meeting.

This was Vajpayee's first meeting with his advisory council after he announced a major reshuffle of his cabinet earlier this month in an effort to shore up the flagging fortunes of the ruling coalition and boost the reforms drive.

Vajpayee said the country's economic fundamentals were strong and the government would further rev up the privatisation of state- run firms except those in strategic sectors.(ANI)

Preparations in full swing for Puri rath yatra Go to top

Puri, July 10 (ANI): Skilled craftsmen and the zealous devouts are working day and night to put together the famous wooden chariots of Lord Jagannath in the holy city of Puri for an annual "Rath Yatra" (Journey of Chariots) due to begin shortly. Building these chariots is a very skilled job as these giant wooden structures resembling Biblical vehicles weigh tens of tonnes and wheels more than two meters in diameter.

The chariots will be pulled by thousands of devotees and endure a journey of five kilometers.

Preparations for the "Rath Yatra" begin months ahead. The three chariots are built every year near the famous Gundicha Bari temple and the collection of wood begins on Basant Panchami (Spring Festival).

"This chariot is different from the chariot of other places. It is famous all over the world because every year new and fresh wood is used to make this huge chariot. Even though the model is the same, no old wood is used to make a new chariot," Lingaraj Mohapatra, a chariot maker, said.

The wood is collected from the forests of Dasapalla. Earlier the local royal family donated the wood, now it is the prerogative of the forest department.

However, efforts are on to create a small forest near Puri that in future will supply the wood. The construction of the chariots begins on another auspicious day, "Akshay Tritiya" (usually it falls in April).

It is on a stretch of road next to the temple complex that the chariots are made.

The carpenters who work on making the chariots have been doing the task for generations.

For most of the workers and craftsmen, who have been making the sacred chariot of Lord Jagannath through generations, it is a labour of reverence and faith.

"My uncle had made a wish that he would come here to make chariot for 50 years. He has already been making it for the last 39 years. But now he is ill. So I have come to complete his wish. I will come at least for the next ten years to make it," said Subhash.

Contributing in making the chariot is considered a privilege. The Jagannath temple in Puri, about 60 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, is one of the holiest places in India for the Hindus.

Lord Jagannath is considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver, one of the trinity of the Hindu pantheon. The other two are - Brahma, the Creator, and Shiva, the Destroyer. Lord Jagannath's idol is carved in wood, a practice going back to early history when the people of Orissa worshipped trees. The Rath Yatra is celebrated in June-July and has been going on for the last ten centuries though the existing temple was built in 12th century A.D.

The festivities start with the images of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra mounted on three different ceremonial chariots being taken out in a procession.

Each idol is decorated with ornaments weighing about 40 kilograms at a ceremony known as "Sona Vesha" (golden dress).

The decoration is done by midnight and thereafter thousands of devotees visit the chariots and offer prayers.

The three chariots are pulled by thousands of devotees. The yatra is a round trip from the main temple to another nearby temple where the idols of the deities rest for seven days before their return to the main temple.(ANI)