Criticising UPA government's direct cash transfer scheme, top CPI leaders on Thursday said the party will launch a campaign against the scheme as this may be extended to food items adversely affecting food security of the country.

"We will soon start collection of at least 5 crore signatures opposing the direct cash transfer scheme of the UPA government," CPI veteran A B Bardhan told a seminar on 'Agrarian Crisis and Food Security' here.

Stating that cash transfer will come as a blow to women empowerment, Bardhan said when the government gives subsidised food it goes to the women. But in case of cash, benefit will go to men, he said.

Bardhan also feared that the government will subsequently stop fixing minimum support price for grains as it may not go for procurement. In the process, food security will be severely hit, he said.

The CPI leader alleged that the farmers were at receiving end and denied loans for agricultural activities while corporate houses were preferred by banks.

When the price of industrial products were being raised by companies, there had been no remunerative hike in the price of agricultural products, he pointed out, adding that there was "no price equity in the country due to faulty economic policy of the government."

While accusing the UPA government of deviating from Nehru's policies, D Raja said the UPA government had the same economic policy as the previous NDA government.

"Under the situation, India needs a government at the Centre which will be pro-farmers and pro-poor. Both Congress and BJP are found to be pro-corporate than the pro-poor," he said.

Raja also claimed that the FDI in retail sector could help a section of rich farmers, but not crores of small and marginal farmers living across the country.