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UPA Government : Left to discuss sale of non-navratna PSUs |
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The UPA-Left coordination committee is meeting on Thursday, October 27 after a gap of nearly four months. Observers say that a proposal for allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail would dominate the agenda. The Left parties are gearing up to oppose the Manmohan Singh Government’s proposal tooth and nail. The CPI is particularly adamant on the issue. Party general secretary A.B. Bardhan said in Chennai on October 19 that the CPI is dead opposed to FDI in retail. Disputing the claim that FDI in retail would bring down prices, Bardhan said this may be the case in the first year, but once the multinationals establish their monopoly, they would dictate market prices.
Issues relating to World Trade Organization (WTO) and foreign policy are also to come up for discussion at the coordination meeting.
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) has indicated that it is willing to discuss disinvestment in non-Navaratna companies with the UPA Government, but is determined not to allow sale of government holding in profit-making public sector undertakings. In an interaction with the Forum of Financial Writers in New Delhi on October 22, party general secretary Prakash Karat said : “We are opposed to the disinvestment of navratna companies, but shares can be sold in other companies to raise resources for social sector. We can discuss sale of shares in other PSUs.” His remarks come in the wake of Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s observation that both PSUs and private sector companies should make large portions of their equities tradable to enable the markets judge the performance of the corporate sector. He had cited the example of China, which has announced the sale of $270 billion worth of mostly state-held stocks of companies.
Asked about the reform process currently underway in West Bengal, Karat said : “We are committed that we will not undo what we have achieved in West Bengal in terms of land reforms. We will not convert fertile agriculture land into industrial land.”
The CPI(M) leader refuted the charge that the Left parties had adopted double-standards with regard to reforms, adopting one policy in West Bengal and another at the Centre.
West Bengal’s collaboration with Indonesian company hits roadblock
The Left Front in West Bengal has kept in abeyance the contentious industrial-cum-real estate project in South 24 Parganas to be taken up in collaboration with an Indonesian multinational company, Salim Group. At its meeting on Thursday, Oct. 20, the Left Front, however, cleared two smaller projects with the Salim Group, a two-wheeler factory and West Howrah township.
South 24 Parganas is difficult terrain, for it has a large Muslim tiller population and the Trinamul Congress has been making efforts to drum up support among local people against the acquisition of land.
With polls round the corner, the survey and acquisition of these lands could be a sticky affair. Mamta Banerjee has already sounded a war cry against the Salim Group and linked up with the Jamait-e-Ulema Hind, stoking up passions in South 24 Parganas.
The decision to give the green signal to the remaining mega projects was taken at a Left Front meeting, hours before Benny Santoso, Salim Executive Director landed in the city. The Trinamul Congress tried to disrupt the visit, but failed in its effort. Despite a demonstration held by the Trinamul Congress led by party chief Mamta Banerjee, the Indonesian group chief was able to meet Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to finalise the deal for setting up a Rs. 250 crore motorcycle manufacturing plant.
Sweeping changes in labour laws planned
The Union Labour Ministry has suggested sweeping changes in labour laws that would run into opposition from the Left especially on the issue of retrenchment and contract labour. The Ministry has sent a note indicating the proposed changes to all central trade unions for their feedback. The note is titled “Making Labour Markets Flexible : Suggestions for Consideration.”
The trade unions are meeting on Friday, Oct. 28, to formulate their response to the proposal.
Ahead of the meeting, Unions have slammed the proposals and called for status quo to be maintained. CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan said : “There is no way the Government will get our support on this. We have been fighting for labour rights, how can they come up with something like this ? We want the status quo to be maintained.”
AITUC secretary D.L. Sachdev said : “.....such a move to dilute existing provisions of labour laws is extraordinary. Meetings are always held for improving and not restricting the rights of the worker. We want status quo to be maintained on issues of contract labour and industrial disputes.”
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