The Hindu : National : 'Chidambaram has no time for us'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 23, 2004

National

National

'Chidambaram has no time for us'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 22. The Communist Party of India today took exception to the Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram "not finding time" to discuss the reservations of the party on the budget proposals and issues concerning the people.

"We have strong views and wish the Finance Minister takes note and understands our points that are important for the people who voted for not just a secular government but alternate economic policies. Unfortunately, he has time to redress grievances of agents of stock markets and modifies the Transaction Tax," the CPI Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gurudas Dasgupta, said at a press conference, addressed jointly by the party leaders, P.K. Vasudevan Nair and S. Sudhakar Reddy.

EPF rate issue

The CPI leaders said the party was raising issues such as interest rate for provident fund; opposition to raising the cap on foreign direct investment in key sectors of insurance, telecom and civil aviation; de-reserving 85 items from the list for small scale industries; and a comprehensive legislation for the unorganised sector.

They warned that not only would the CPI protest but would take the issue before the public.

However, it would neither bring cut motions to the Budget nor do anything to pull down the United Progressive Alliance Government.

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