Manmohan convenes ministers' meet on manufacturing policy

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be convening a meeting of at least six ministers next month to resolve differences over the draft manufacturing policy which has suggested flexibility in labour laws and changes in environment norms in big industrial enclaves.

The meeting is likely to take place on May 4, an official told PTI. It has been more than a year that the draft manufacturing policy has been in public domain but the same has been stuck due to resistance from the environment and labour ministries.

“The Prime Minister is likely to give a direction to the concerned ministers to resolve the differences,” the official said. Besides Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, Corporate Affairs Minister Murli Deora, HRD and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and Planning Commission Vice Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia would be attending the meeting.

The draft policy suggests industries in National Manufacturing Investment Zones (NMIZs) — big enclaves which could even subsume special economic zones — should be given flexibilities to downsize labour. Likewise, it recommends changes in the environment norms which come in way of investment.