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Vananchal, Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh and insurance bill not a priority, Khurana tells Parliament

The government today announced that the creation of Delhi, Vananchal, Uttaranchal and Chhattisgarh states was not on its priority list. The Insurance Regulatory Authority Bill, 1998 also would be taken up later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madanlal Khurana said.

But he hastened to add that these would be taken up during the current session.

As for Delhi, he said at yesterday's meeting of the Opposition parties with the government, the Tamil Nadu parties had maintained that unless the question of according statehood to Pondicherry was decided, they would object to Delhi getting full statehood.

After consulting Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, it was decided that Pondicherry would also be given statehood, he said.

The government would also consult the Congress whether it would welcome full statehood for Delhi since this issue was ''not in their election manifesto'' to the assembly.

''We do not want a situation as was created by Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav with respect to Vananchal,'' he said.

The insurance bill, which too is being put on the backburner, was to provide 40 per cent foreign equity participation in the sector.

Khurana did not specify any reasons for dropping this bill from its earlier ''priority'' list. He evaded questions on the bill being introduced in the current session. More reports on the government thinking on the issue are awaited.

The meeting of the business advisory committee scheduled for this evening has been postponed till tomorrow.

UNI

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