ID :
14634
Sat, 08/02/2008 - 09:31
Auther :

CPI compliments UPA govt on WTO

Kochi, Aug 2 (PTI) After parting ways with the United Progressive Alliance on Indo-US nuclear deal and turning its bitter critic, Communist Party of India (C.P.I.) Friday complimented the Manmohan Singh government for resisting US pressures on the issue of agriculture tariffs at the WTOministerial conference.

Serious attempts were made by the US and European Union to 'arm twist' India, China and other developing nations on the issue, CPI General Secretary A. B. Bardhan told reportershere.

Bardhan said he was 'glad' that India did not fall to this pressure. "This (US pressure) shows the dangers faced bythe agriculture sector", he added.

"We should be vigilant and stand together along with China, Brazil and other developing nations to resist thesepressures", he said.

The WTO talks at Geneva last week collapsed on the issue of giving safeguards to farmers in developing countries against surge in imports from developed countries. While India and China insisted on sufficient protection for theirvulnerable farmers, the US was not ready for a deal.

Bardhan, however, hit out at the UPA governement's move to implement measurers like dilution of equity in banks, allowing foreign capital in banking sector and virtually privatising the insurance sector by handing over pension fundsto the corporate houses like Reliance.

"Maneaters of corporate houses have been let loose by thegovernment", he charged.

On the cut in quantum of rice supplied for the above poverty line (A.P.L.) category people in Kerala, he said this issue would be taken up with Union Agricultural Minsiter Sharad Pawar and "we will lead a delegation from Kerala to meet him." The Left parties will support the August 20 trade union strike call, he said. PTI UD HMK

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