NEW DELHI: The Left parties have decided to raise the issue of agrarian distress in Parliament with the emphasis on procurement policy in the backdrop of wheat import.

Criticising the Manmohan Singh Government's policies, the Left parties said that farmers were facing problems because there was no procurement by official agencies while private traders were doing so at low rates. The move would affect the public distribution system.

"It is the question of food security that is getting undermined. Farmers in the country are not getting money for their produce but farmers abroad are [on account of imports]. We will raise the issue in Parliament," Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat, said after a meeting .

Office of profit

On the office of profit issue, the Left parties said the Government should bring in legislation to amend the schedule which lists the office that are not to be considered as office of profit for disqualification. The list may include such offices with retrospective effect, they said in a joint statement.

The leaders also discussed the likely hike in petrol prices and the problem being faced by Palestinian people. They expressed strong disapproval at the manner in which Israel, the U.S. and European Union have stopped funds to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas won the election and formed the Government.

The Left parties said they were surprised that the UPA Government has been silent about this development and said the Manmohan Singh Government should not allow its ties with Israel to affect the long standing and firm commitment of the secular forces in India to the Palestinian cause.

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