Basu unhappy with UPA govt's working

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu said his party, the CPI(M), had found the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) wanting in its priorities.

In the clearest censure of the functioning of the UPA, Basu said he would take up the matter with party leaders.

"We are not satisfied with the functioning of the UPA government," Basu said, after emerging from the meeting of the state secretariat of the party here.

Basu said he would go to Delhi with other party leaders to take up matters of concern with the government.

Basu's criticism comes soon after the UPA government's completion of 100 days in office, during which it has consulted the Left on practically every major administrative decision it has taken.

However, the Left parties have been vocal in their opposition to many of the government's decisions. The CPI has protested provisions in the trade policy that do not take into consideration the interests of small-scale industries.

Similarly, the CPI(M) and the CPI have both lashed out at the government for involving World Bank officials in helping the Planning Commission frame policy. Basu said it had been established in the past that the Bank had given wrong advice in crucial matters.

Yesterday's meeting was attended by a number of CPI(M) Politburo members from the state.