The Hindu : National : Karat responds to Ahluwalia's letter

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Tuesday, Sep 21, 2004

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National

Karat responds to Ahluwalia's letter

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 20 . The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has underlined the need for the Manmohan Singh Government to dispel the feeling that international funding agencies have an undue influence on policy-making in the country and that it was for the first time the Planning Commission would have representatives of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in the consultative groups.

Responding to a letter by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, the CPI (M) Polit Bureau member, Prakash Karat, said while in the past too the plan panel had set up consultative bodies, which had an advisory role, none included representatives of the World Bank and similar agencies. Dr. Ahluwalia had sent a communication last week explaining the rationale behind the Government's move. Mr. Karat said the Left Parties objected to this arrangement because it introduced official representatives of these agencies into the Planning Commission mechanism. As per his information, Mr. Karat said the functions of the consultative groups included asking Central and State Government officials to make presentations before them.

"There is a widespread feeling in the country that since 1991, agencies like the IMF and the World Bank have had an undue influence on policy-making in our country. The impact of policies conditioned by these agencies have had harmful effects on our economy and society," he said in a letter to Dr. Ahluwalia.

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