Rahul to House panel: allot more time on core issues

Rahul Gandhi today told a parliamentary panel that it should allot half of its time on "core issues" such as curbing corruption and black money, a suggestion that comes in the midst of a series of graft allegations against the UPA government. Saubhadra Chatterji reports.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday told a parliamentary panel that it should allot half of its time on "core issues" such as curbing corruption and black money, a suggestion that comes in the midst of a series of graft allegations against the UPA government.

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Debuting as a member of the parliamentary standing committee on finance, Gandhi also felt that the panel should suggest ways on how the government should recover black money stashed abroad and check corruption. He also pitched for looking into the impact of the economy on human development fundamentals such as the GDP, which he felt can't be measured in numbers alone.

But some opposition leaders in the panel, including Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJD) and Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), emphasised that reviewing current hot topics such as FDI in retail was crucial.

Gandhi had earlier served two terms in the parliamentary panel on HRD before opting for the key standing committee on finance. In his new role, Gandhi has also sent out a political message - his party's focus will be on the larger issues that are affecting the aam aadmi even while it tackles the opposition onslaught.

His observations also came close on the heels of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's significant announcement that corruption in corporate sector will also come under the purview of the anti-corruption law.

While Dasgupta sought a scrutiny of the FDI in multi-brand retail policy, Mahtab pointed out that many current issues also affect the aam aadmi. The panel will take up the review of the 11th five-year-plan and may call planning commission officials for its next meeting.