The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Chidambaram seeks Left's cooperation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 09, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Chidambaram seeks Left's cooperation

Special Correspondent

"State Government has not submitted detailed project report for desalination plant"

A LIGHTER MOMENT: Union Ministers P. Chidambaram and T.R. Baalu, and CPI(M) Central committee member T.K. Rengarajan, at a multimedia campaign in Chennai on Sunday. — Photo: Shaju John

CHENNAI: Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Sunday appealed to the Left to cooperate with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government for achieving a higher growth rate on a par with China.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the four-day long multimedia campaign of the UPA Government here, Mr. Chidambaram said though some differences existed between the Left and the UPA, there was "no quarrel about socialist goals." Both sides should evolve a consensus through talks on the method to be adopted to attain them.

All that India had to do to catch up with China's growth rate was to simply follow what that country was doing with regard to liberalising trade policies and permitting foreign direct investment into the country, he said, urging the Left parties to continue their support to the Government.

Inflation under control

Mr. Chidambaram said the country was on a growth trajectory next only to China's. In the first six months of the current financial year, it was 8.1 per cent and, at the end of the year, might touch 7.5 per cent. Inflation was under control at 4.4 per cent. This had become possible despite escalating crude oil price in international market and rise in the value of dollar.

Referring to the UPA Government's achievements in different sectors, he said the business confidence index had gone up. Non-food credit had registered a 31 per cent growth. Farm loan would exceed the Rs.1.42 lakh crore target in the current year.

"My work is promoting investments" in both public and private sectors. Sustained growth rate of 7.5 per cent could be possible in the next three years if investments were stepped up in every sector," he said.

On Central assistance for various projects in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Chidambaram said though the Centre was prepared to allocate Rs. 1000 crore for a desalination plant in Chennai, the State Government had not yet submitted a detailed project report. He justified the explanations sought by the Union Environment Ministry on the State Government's proposed desalination project. He said if the State Government sent a detailed proposal for rehabilitation and reconstruction measures in the flood-hit areas, the Centre would review it and release funds as per rules.

Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu said against a total allocation of 150.58 lakh tonnes of rice for the State's public distribution system in the last three years, only 67.35 lakh tonnes was lifted.

As many as 50,000 persons, including school students, had attended seminars and cultural events conducted as part of the UPA's campaign, said Mr. Baalu.

CPI (M) Central Committee Member T.K. Rengarajan urged the UPA Government to keep its promises to people. Its strength in Parliament alone would not ensure its stability.

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