Members of the UPA coordination committee have received a surprise intimation that a meeting of the committee will be held on Thursday at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence followed by dinner for all the allies of the government, including the Left parties.
While most committee members appeared in the dark about the agenda of the meeting, a senior Cabinet minister said that the meeting had been called keeping in mind two important issues.
“The impending hike in petrol prices needs to be discussed and explained to the allies and it is possible that a decision on the price hike may take place in tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting and later explained to the allies,” said the minister.
The second most obvious reason for the meeting could be the upcoming Budget session of Parliament and the related issues of floor co-ordination and committee members’ own inputs for the Budget. “There is always a meeting before the Budget session,” said the minister.
PMO sources have remained tightlipped on the matter except to confirm that the meeting will take place on Thursday.
The Union Cabinet is also set to meet tomorrow and although the petroleum price hike is not a part of the agenda of the meeting, ministers in the government expect that the agenda papers will be circulated at the last minute at the meeting.
The GoM on petroleum had already recommended that a marginal hike in fuel prices be allowed, but a political decision on the matter is still required with Congress president Sonia Gandhi not in favour of a hike.
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