Trinamool for partial rollback?

CALCUTTA, OCT. 2. Scaling down its demand of total withdrawal of the price hike of the petroleum products, the Trinamool Congress today demanded ``some relief'' in the form of a partial rollback fuelling hopes that the impasse arising out of the resignation of the Railway Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, might come to an end.

Although Ms. Banerjee kept herself away from the press, the chairman of the party's policy-making body, Mr. Pankaj Banerjee, told reporters at her residence that negotiations were still on with the Prime Minister's emissary over phone. ``Some solution will come out within the next few hours,'' he hoped. ``We are awaiting a decision from them regarding some concessions. We hope that the Centre will take suitable action to give some relief to the common people,'' he said.

Another Trinamool Congress leader, Mr. Sobhandev Chattopadhyay, however, said there was no new development so far. ``But talks are on. Any information might come from Delhi any moment. Then she (Ms. Banerjee) would come and speak to you,'' he told waiting reporters.

Party sources said that Mr. Sudhirendra Kulkarni, a senior official in the Prime minister's Office, spoke to the Railway Minister thrice during the day. They, however, declined to divulge details.

On the Trinamool's ultimatum for the withdrawal from the National Democratic Alliance, within three days which expires tomorrow, the party's policy-making body chairman said ``we will stick to it'' if no solution emerges.

To another question, he said the induction of Mr. Satyabrata Mukherjee, another BJP MP from West Bengal into the Union cabinet had nothing to do with the resignation of Ms. Banerjee and Mr. Ajit Kumar Panja. ``They resigned to protect the interests of the common men.''

Mamata was party to decision: Basu

CALCUTTA, OCT. 2. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr. Jyoti Basu, today said the Railway Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, and her party colleague, Mr. Ajit Panja, were party to the decision to increase the prices of petroleum products. ``It was a unanimous Cabinet decision... Ms. Banerjee was present there. The Prime minister has said it.''

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : 'Aim is to wipe out oil pool deficit'
Next     : Putin to seek joint action with India against
           Taliban