Left awaits govt word on selloff

The Left parties today reminded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of his promise that the government would not press ahead with the divestment of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and that divestment of Navratna public sector undertakings would also not be contemplated.

"The prime minister told us over lunch at the National Integration Council meeting, held recently, that he would send us a letter informing us that the government would not go ahead with this (divestment). We want to see the letter before we take a decision about returning to the United Progressive Alliance-Left co-ordination committee," CPI leader AB Bardhan told Business Standard.

"We came out of the UPA-Left co-ordination committee on the issue of Bhel divestment. The government has made some announcements, but we have not received anything in writing. We will not go back on the issue of profit-making PSUs," said Sitaram Yechuri, CPI(M) politburo member.

Leaders of the four Left parties today met to decide on whether to rejoin the Left-UPA co-ordination committee and to discuss further issues including a note from the government on the World Trade Organisation.

"We had given a note to the government on the WTO. It has sent us its reply. We are studying the reply after which we will give our response to it," Bardhan said.

The Left parties had flagged the urgent need by the UPA to factor in "vulnerable sections" and had noted that the government had made proposals on NAMA, agriculture and services that could have a bearing on issues pertaining directly to state governments.

Health issues, including rise in the prices of life-saving drugs and revisions of product patents were also raised by the Left with the government.

The government had spelt out its positions on all the issues. Accepting the value of inputs of civil society in the negotiating process and on the health issue, it said while the US and other developing countries wanted flexibilities to be used purely for commercial ends, India was backing the African countries that had volunteered not to use flexibility except for public health emergencies, he said.

The Left parties also decided to submit two notes, one on the "US-dictated privatisation of the Delhi Jal Board" and the other on the power crisis.

"We will take up the issue of foreign direct investment in the retail sector in our next meeting. We have decided that there can be no compromise on this. We will not accept any compromises the government offers on this," Bardhan said.