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CPI(M) Politburo to decide stand over rise in FDI cap
A crucial meeting of CPI(M) Politburo will take place on Sunday to prepare the party's future course of action on the FDI cap issue.
With Left parties already sore over some proposals in the union Budget including hike in the FDI cap in telecom, insurance and civil aviation, a crucial meeting of CPI(M) Politburo will take place in New Delhi on Sunday to prepare the party's future course of action on the issue.
"The agenda of the meeting is the Lok Sabha poll outcome and post-poll political situation in the country. Naturally, the first budget of the UPA government presented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram will come up for discussion during Sunday's deliberations," Politburo member Anil Biswas said.
Asked whether the party would press for a roll back of the proposed hike in FDI cap, Biswas, also the party's state secretary simply said "let us first discuss them at our meeting, then we will decide our course of action."
Sources said the party along with other left parties were expected to raise the issue in Parliament when the proposals come up for discussion and to mobilise the support of the people on the issue.
While welcoming the budgetary proposals on agriculture, employment, health, education and rural poor, Biswas made it clear the Budget failed to reflect fully the hopes and aspirations of the people from the UPA government.
Expressing his party's concern on no rise in the interest rate of PPF and Special Deposit scheme from the existing eight per cent, he said this had belied the expectations of workers and pensioners. "We have asked for a hike in the interest rate from the existing 8 per cent," he said.
Biswas said raising the cap on FDI in telecom, insurance and civil aviation sectors was a cause for concern, while the measures announced in respect of small-scale industries also looked insufficient.
"We are studying these. We will also keep a vigil to see how these things, which have been included in the union Budget in accordance with the Common Minimum Programme are translated into action," the CPI(M) leader said.
CPI(M)'s labour arm CITU has already threatened to launch an agitation, if the UPA government refused to take corrective steps with regard to FDI cap in civil aviation, insurance and telecom besides non-fulfilment of the aspirations of the common people.
"We strongly disapprove of certain measures taken in the union Budget. This will jeopardise the interest of workers and the common people. We have to go for agitation," West Bengal President of CITU Shyamal Chakraborty has said.
The four-day CITU National Council meeting to be held from July 17 in Nasik would discuss the union Budget, he said.
The CITU leader, however, said that his organisation would not launch a battle against the UPA government right away.
