NEW DELHI : The Left parties have suggested that the Government work on alternative methods to raise resources to fund social security schemes, including raising the tax-GDP ratio, and use a portion of the surplus in public enterprises.

They have submitted a set of proposals to the Government that is seeking to disinvest shares in profit making non-Navratna public sector undertakings as a means to raise funds for social sector spending.

Without elaborating on the proposals,Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said the tax-GDP ratio had come down from 11 percentage points, when the process of economic liberalisation had begun, to eight percentage points now. In terms of accruals, he said, the three percentage points would amount to Rs. 40,000 crore, which meant the Government lost over Rs. one lakh crore every year.

Rs. 2 lakh crore surplus

Mr. Yechury said as per the Department of Public Enterprises report, nearly Rs. 2 lakh crore surplus was in public sector undertakings and not more than a quarter of the amount was put to use for possible expansion plans. These reserves, he suggested, could be tapped by monetising, for instance, through floating bonds.

On the suggestion by the CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan on the need for communist unity, Mr. Yechury said both parties were already carrying out joint struggles.

He said the CPI (M) preferred unity to begin at the grassroots and travel up instead of a top-down course.

"We have emphasised that Left unity is essential for India's political future," Mr. Yechury said, adding that unity was different from unification.

Karachi visit

On his recent visit to Karachi, Mr. Yechury said it was in connection with the birth centenary celebrations of communist leader Sajjad Zaheer, who had worked for the setting up of the Communist Party in the country before Partition and then went on to work for the Pakistan Communist Party.

During his two-day weekend stay, Mr. Yechury said he had met leaders of the Pakistan People's Party and the Muslim League.

The leaders had said that they were preparing for the 2007 general elections with the focus on revival of democracy.

Mr. Yechury, who travelled to Karachi along with party colleague, Rajinder Prasad, and A.K. Hangal of the CPI, said the Communist Party in Pakistan was also making its presence felt by engaging in political work.

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