New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS): Opposition Congress on Monday criticised the Central government on the supplementary demands for grants sought by it, calling it a "story of failures".

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, while initiating the discussion on supplementary demands for grants for remaining part of the current fiscal as well as on the excess grants for 2019-20 in Lok Sabha, said that they (grants) were "a story of failures, a fondness for grand announcement and flashy statements, which are destroying foundation of everything good and noble in old India".

BJP's Nishikant Dubey, who spoke after Tharoor, attacked the Congress, saying that despite having economists like Manmohan Singh and P. Chidambaram as Prime Minister and Finance Minister, respectively, their poor policies adversely impacted the economy.

Tharoor said that the Centre had reduced the allocations on schemes related to healthcare and social sectors.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was present in Lok Sabha when Tharoor spoke.

He further attacked the government, saying that fuel prices are kept unchanged till the run up to elections and are later hiked.

The oil marketing companies, Tharoor added, are bearing the burden to suit government's political conveniences, something which will hurt the taxpayers in the long run.

The Congress leader also blamed the Centre of not focussing much on looking at the crux of problems facing the country, rather it was more interested in doling out sops as temporary measures.

"I am sorry to say that ... the supplementary grant is a story of failures, a fondness for grand announcement and flashy statements, which are destroying the foundation of everything good and noble in old India. We will not oppose these demands because the country needs them, but we deplore needless rigmarole that brought us to this point," he said.

"Aam aadmi expenditure is what is sustaining the healthcare business in our country," Tharoor said, while expressing concern over the government neglecting sectors like healthcare.