Upset at being ignored over the formulation of India's economic policies, the government's Communist allies Thursday sought some brakes on unbridled free market reforms when the national budget is unveiled Monday.

Ahead of the budget for fiscal year 2005-06 beginning April 1, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conferred with Left leaders over breakfast, but it was clear that differences persist over many issues.

Even as the government and Left leaders sought to make conciliatory noises after the two-hour meeting, one Left party, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), made it known that the patience of the communists was running thin.

"The Left parties have given us a 12-point note containing their suggestions and we have had extensive discussions," Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said after the meeting.

"We heard their views and suggestions and the government has greatly benefited from these," he said, making no specific commitment.

The comments, following the first government-Left meeting since the government hiked foreign direct investment in telecom regardless of leftwing protests, did nothing to assure communist leaders who privately asserted they would not stand for their views being glossed over any more.

"The thrust of reforms must shift towards people's welfare rather than profit for capitalists," said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Sitaram Yechuri. "We hope this shift will be reflected in the budget."

On the hike in the defence budget, which the Left has objected to strongly, the CPI-M leader declined comment.

"We have made our views clear. We will comment on it after the budget."

The top brass of the Left - CPI-M's Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Communist Party of India's A.B. Bardhan and D. Raja, Forward Bloc's Debabrata Biswas and RSP's Abani Roy - took part in the meeting. The Left bloc in the Lok Sabha holds 62 crucial seats and is vital for the survival of the Congress-led government.

The prime minister, Chidambaram, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee were present as the Left leaders urged the government to stick to the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) in the budget.

The Left parties had on Feb 1 given a 12-point note spelling out their suggestions on sectors ranging from education to employment generation, health, agriculture, rural credit and infrastructure.

Yechuri said: "It is up to the government to incorporate our suggestions or not. Our emphasis is on implementing the tenets in CMP. We think the finance minister will take a considered view."

The 12-point note asks the government not to divest stakes in profit-making public sector units, provide additional outlay of Rs.500 billion for employment generation, rural capital and education and not raise foreign direct investment in private banks.

On a stronger note of discontent, RSP leader Roy said: "They have assured us several times. But only after the budget is tabled can we say how much our opinion was incorporated.

"We should not be ignored. We are not very happy at the rate the government is going," he added.

The RSP leader has reportedly written to the CPI-M, CPI and Forward Bloc urging them to reconsider backing the UPA government, accusing it of diluting the CMP.

"The RSP feels it is high time for Left parties to give serious consideration to the menacing situation. The party is of the view that Left parties may review support to the UPA government at the earliest," he said.