Left to raise SEZ issue at coordination panel meet

Several legislations crucial to the UPA regime's agenda of reforms, including Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill, Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill and a draft Bill related to insurance sector reforms, will come up for discussion at the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting on Monday.

While the government is eager to secure a consensus on at least some of these Bills, the Left parties have their own agenda for tomorrow "" reversal of the hike in the prices of petroleum products in the wake of the recent fall in international crude oil prices, changes in the Special Economic Zone Act and Rules and the UPA government's approach to the issue of death sentence awarded to ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

The CPI(M) is also likely to demand from the government to come out with a sub-Plan for Muslims, earmarking about 15 per cent of the budgetary allocations in ministries and departments for the welfare of the minority community.

At the Coordination Committee meeting last September, the Left leaders had promised to come back with their views on Finance Minister P Chidambaram's suggestions for pension reforms, including the proposal to entrust the funds with public fund managers like LIC, UTI and SBI.

The Left, on the other hand, had sought guaranteed returns for the employees, which the government had rejected.

There has been no change in their respective stance since then, although the government is still hopeful of a breakthrough, thanks to the Left's inability to come out with any alternative set of proposals for pension reforms as also to the pressure from West Bengal Chief Minister who, like his counterparts from other states, shares Chidambaram's concerns about the inflating pension funds.

As for insurance sector reforms, there is no dilution in the Left's opposition to the proposed hike in FDI limit from 26 to 49 per cent; so is the case with the Banking Bill that had figured in the List of Business in the Lok Sabha for three consecutive days, but had to be dropped after the failure of protracted negotiations with the Left.

The UPA allies are still opposed to the proposal to remove the 10 per cent cap on voting rights.

Chidambaram met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday to discuss the progress on these proposed reforms.