Rollback tug of war continues

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 20. There was no sign today of the Government being ready to soften the blow it has already delivered in the matter of cut in food and fertilizer subsidies, the hike in prices of cooking gas and kerosene, and the more recent cuts in interest rates on public provident fund. Despite persistent questioning by nearly 80 Bharatiya Janata Party MPs for over four hours this evening, there was no assurance from the Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha.

All that Mr. Sinha was able to say by way of comforting the MPs was that he would convey their strong views to the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee.

Even as this drama unfolded, the allies and supporting parties of the BJP watched, waited and preferred to postpone a meeting on the subject. It seemed that there was lack of unity among them on how far they should go to press their demand for at least a partial rollback. Both Mr. Sinha and Mr. Shanta Kumar, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, faced a volley of questions from the BJP MPs.

As many as 23 MPs spoke during the informal meeting. Party MPs were also of the view that if the Government was indeed thinking of making some small gesture on the prices and subsidies issue, the ``political credit'' should also go to the BJP rather than to the allies alone, who have lobbied hard with the Prime Minister.

Party MPs drawn from both the Houses wanted to be briefed on what the Government plans to do on the disinvestment front and interest cuts on savings schemes which would hit the small investors. Partners and supporting parties of the BJP are divided on strategy to pressure the Government to reconsider the recent price hikes and slash in the food and fertilizer subsidies. An informal meeting of their leaders planned for today was deferred.

Officially, it was explained that the meeting has been put off as leaders of some of the parties have left for their respective States in view of the three-day Parliament recess beginning tomorrow. But it appears the real reason is the allies wanted to wait for some more time before deciding their next move. The NDA leaders felt that a clear picture about the thinking of the Government on the price hikes would be available after today's meeting between Mr. Sinha and BJP MPs.

Division in the ranks of the allies and the supporting parties on the future course of action was evident in the contradictory statements made by the former Union Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader, Mr. Devendra Prasad Yadav, and the Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party Leader, Mr. K. Yerran Naidu.

Addressing a news conference in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food and Civil Supplies, Mr. Yadav asserted that the allies could go to any extent in support of their demand for a review of the price hikes. He was responding to a question if the allies could support the cut motion proposed to be moved by the Congress(I) on the Finance Bill.

On the other hand, Mr. Yerran Naidu categorically ruled out support to an Opposition cut motion. ``Cut motion is a weapon of the Opposition parties... there is no way we could support them,'' he said.

Mr. Naidu argued that the allies and supporting parties have reflected the sentiments of the common people in support of a rollback of prices when they gave a memorandum in March to the Prime Minister. ``In the Lok Sabha, the Finance Minister has assured that he will keep the sentiments of the members in mind while responding to the debate on the Finance Bill. Let us wait and see,'' he said.

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