The Hindu : Front Page : Draft CMP proclaims six governing principles

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Saturday, May 22, 2004

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Front Page

Draft CMP proclaims six governing principles

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MAY 21. The Common Minimum Programme being finalised by the 14 constituents of the United Progressive Alliance led by the Congress and the Left proposes six basic principles of governance: protecting social harmony; ensuring growth of economy at 7 to 8 per cent; enhancing well-being of farmers; empowering women; providing full equality of opportunity in education and employment to dalits, tribals, other backward classes and religious minorities; and unleashing the creative potential of entrepreneurs and productive forces.

The 16-page second draft of the CMP identifies employment generation, agriculture, education, welfare of minorities, regional development, well-being of workers, and strengthening of the public sector among the priorities of the new UPA Government. While noting that the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) has been grossly misused, the draft CMP promises to repeal it.

The UPA Government will devolve full managerial and commercial autonomy to successful, profit-making companies operating in a competitive environment. Privatisation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Government will retain ONGC, IOC, HPCL, BPCL, GAIL, NTPC, SAIL and BHEL in the public sector while disinvestment takes place. Chronically loss-making companies will either be sold off or closed after all workers have got their legitimate dues and compensation. "The UPA Government believes that privatisation should increase competition, not decrease it. It also believes there must be a direct link between privatisation and social needs," the draft CMP says.

The new Government will take steps to "revive industrial growth and put it on a robust footing" through continued deregulation and other policies. "The country needs and can easily absorb at least two to three times the present level of Foreign Direct Investment inflows," the draft CMP asserts. Indian industry will be given every support to become productive and competitive. "All regulatory institutions will be strengthened to ensure that competition is free and fair," it adds.

Expressing its commitment to ensuring the welfare of all workers, the document says social security for unorganised workers will be expanded. While recognising that some flexibility will have to be provided to industry in the matter of labour policy, the draft CMP expresses itself against the idea of "automatic hire and fire."

A National Employment Guarantee Act will be enacted to provide a legal guarantee of at least 100 days of employment on asset-creating public works programmes every year at minimum wages for every rural household.

The draft CMP states that the new government will await the verdict of the courts on the Ayodhya issue while encouraging negotiations between parties to the dispute for an amicable settlement. A comprehensive law on communal violence will be enacted providing for investigations by a central agency, prosecution by special courts, and payment of uniform compensation.

The UPA Government will redress growing regional imbalances among States as well as within States through fiscal and other means. The National Development Council will be made a "more effective instrument of cooperative federalism." The Inter-State Council will also be activated. A new Commission will be set up to go into Centre-State relations keeping in view the "sea-changes" that have taken place in the polity and economy of India since the Sarkaria Commission gave its report. A second States Reorganisation Commission will be set up to consider all demands for new States.

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