KOLKATA: The Centre should not go ahead with further approvals for the setting up of SEZs till it comes up with a clear-cut understanding of the changes that have to be made, Communist Party of India (M) general secretary Prakash Karat said here on Friday.

He added that the Government must take into consideration the stand of the Left parties."We have already made clear our stand [on the matter]" he said. The matter was being referred to the Group of Ministers by the Left parties, which had earlier submitted a note containing their views to the Centre.

The SEZ issue will figure at the meeting of the CPI (M)'s Polit Bureau in Delhi as would the prevailing political situation in the country.

He did not think that the four Left parties were opposed to the SEZs per se and it was only the Revolutionary Socialist Party, which was "totally" opposed to them.

Mr. Karat who attended a meeting of the party's State Secretariat during the day also said that the differences between the Left partners in West Bengal over the proposed amendments to be brought to the West Bengal Land Reforms [Amendment] Bill, 2006 could be sorted out through bi-lateral discussions. The partners had failed to reach a consensus on the issue at a meeting of the Left Front Committee here on Thursday.

Asked to comment on the matter veteran Marxist leader, Jyoti Basu, admitted that "there are differences" between the different constituents regarding the Bill and there is need for further talks separately with the partners. "Only after these talks will it be decided whether amendments can be made to the Bill" as had been proposed by the State Government.

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