Cpm To Focus On Insurance, To Allow Finance Bill Passage

The CPI(M), which has expressed serious misgivings about various aspects of the Union budget, intends to allow the finance bill to pass with whatever amendments finance minister P Chidambaram is willing to make, while it concentrates on stalling such consequent legislation as the one to create an Insurance Regulatory Authority.

The CPI(M)s strongest criticism after the budget presentation was to the move to open health insurance to the private sector. Party leaders say they will threaten to vote against this bill if necessary.

While they do not want to bring down the government, they are confident of rallying Congressmen to join them in defeating it in the Rajya Sabha. A defeat in that House would not reflect on the governments stability but would stymie the bill.

Having tasted victory by forcing the government last week to withdraw the bill to privatise power transmission, the party intends to put similar pressure to ensure that bills like the one to amend the Coal Nationalisation Act of 1973, in order to privatise the sector, are not introduced, or passed.

The cabinet has taken a decision to privatise the coal sector and the consequential bill is likely to be introduced after Parliament reconvenes on April 21. While concentrating on not allowing these bills for further reform through, the CPM has not entirely given up on getting changes made in the finance bill.

It intends to try and pressure Chidambaram to revise his tax cuts, at least for corporates, to increase income tax for the top bracket, and some of the reclassifications of small scale industries. We have been getting many representations from small scale units, says politburo member Prakash Karat. The partys representatives made these points in talks between the government and the United Fronts floor leaders a few days ago. Karat says party leaders will press them further at other front fora such as the steering committee.

over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, the party intends to sharpen its attacks against the proposed disinvestment from public sector units by launching mass agitations in tandem with pressure within the United Front. It is gearing up for a nationwide strike in public sector units on April 2. The strike in West Bengal will be on April 3, since there are examinations on April 2.