The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Tsunami panels should be broadbased: CPI (M)

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 29, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tsunami panels should be broadbased: CPI (M)

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE, JAN. 28. The Polit Bureau member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), N. Sankariah, today urged the Tamil Nadu Government to constitute the tsunami rehabilitation committees accommodating all the parties represented in the Assembly and Parliament.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Sankariah said the Government had "subtly" said the panels would comprise MLAs and MPs. Such committees with MLAs or MPs of certain parties to the exclusion of other parties would be lopsided.

This arrangement would not augur well for equitable distribution of relief. To avoid malpractices, the committees should be broadbased, truly representative in character and function.

The Centre had sanctioned substantial aid. The CPI (M) asked for more to provide the maximum relief to the affected.

Divestment

Referring to the Centre's proposal to disinvest government-held equity in Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and Maruti Udyog, Mr. Sankariah said the party's stand was that profit-making government undertakings or organisations should be kept out of the ambit of divestment.

After the Left parties voiced their opposition, the Centre shelved its proposal. The CPI (M) was opposed to foreign investments in the insurance, postal and telecommunication sectors.

DPI stand

Mr. Sankariah said the Dalit Panthers of India demand for double voting rights to Dalits in the reserved constituencies was not acceptable to the CPI (M).

How could there be double voting rights for a particular section, in contravention to the spirit of the Constitution, he asked.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu