People's Democracy

Refer EG Bill To Joint Select Committee: CPI(M)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has demanded the government to refer the proposed Employment Guarantee Bill to a joint select committee of the Parliament immediately after introduction during the current session. Expressing apprehension that the proposed guarantee scheme would be used to merge all existing schemes into it, the CPI(M) demanded that Employment Guarantee Scheme must be maintained as a separate scheme, funded totally by the centre. It should also cover not just rural areas but also urban areas.

The CPI(M) floor leaders in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Basudev Acharia and Nilotpal Basu made these demands at a press conference today. They expressed disappointment at the government not exhibiting the urgency in enacting this Act.

Elaborating on why they want the Bill to be referred to the select committee, the CPI(M) leaders said that unlike standing committees, the scope of joint select committees is wider and they can almost come up with a new Bill. As far as funding for the scheme is concerned they were clear that the central government must foot the bill since it was a commitment made in the CMP.

INQUIRE INTO TRAI ROLE

Nilotpal Basu has demanded the central government to institute an inquiry into why the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) wilfully misleaded the Parliament and the people on the scam by Reliance relating to masking of international calls by tampering the caller identification.

In a written answer to a question put by him in Rajya Sabha yesterday, the TRAI gave data which was collected from international long distance operators – the ones who are involved in the scam and therefore naturally underreported the number of international calls received in India.

Basu told the media that floor leaders of the four Left parties met the prime minister in this regard and demanded immediate dismissal of TRAI chairman Pradip Baijal for his role. He said the prime minister assured that he will look into this matter seriously. Basu also released the letter the Left MPs  wrote to the prime minister. He demanded stringent penalty must be imposed on the companies involved in this scam originating in the NDA regime tenure.

HYDERABAD AIRPORT ISSUE

The CPI(M) opposed the UPA government decision of sanctioning a new Rs 1,385 crore greenfield airport in Hyderabad, saying it totally compromises national interest.

Nilotpal Basu said that as per the information received by him, this would entail closing down of the existing Begumpet airport, which was worth Rs 900 crore. He saw no reason why this should be done, particularly when the private investment in the proposed new international airport is just Rs 200 crore, with the rest coming from AAI, government and public financial institutes.

He quoted from a central government report which stated that with the present trends, the existing airport in Hyderabad would be able to service passengers till another 11 years.

BJP HAS NO MORAL RIGHT

The CPI(M) has stated that the BJP has no moral right whatsoever to raise the issue of the railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav giving money to voters. It reminded that the BJP was caught bribing voters in none other than former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s constituency, Lucknow. In the stampede that occurred due to BJP’s saree distribution, nearly 22 women were killed.

CPI(M) leader in Rajya Sabha Nilotpal Basu said this while addressing a press conference in parliament house on December 21. He emphasised that the Party was not either supporting or defending Laloo Yadav and refused to comment on the matter as the quasi-judicial body, the Election Commission was investigating into the matter. On BJP’s attempts to disrupt the proceeding in parliament on this issue, Basu said “the pot can’t call the kettle black”.