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"We will devise mechanism for consultations"

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT.1. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, informed the Left parties today that his Government could think of setting up of some kind of a mechanism for consultations as regards the Planning Commission.

Leaving it to the realm of future, Dr. Singh said the Government had looked into the issue of consultative groups taking into account the objections raised by the Left parties on involving representatives of international funding and other concerns, Left party sources said.

The issued figured briefly at a breakfast meeting hosted by Dr. Singh for the Left party leaders, including Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) D. Raja of the Communist Party of India, Abani Roy of the Revolutionary Socialist Party and Debabrata Biswas of the All-India Forward Bloc.

Mr. Raja broached the subject seeking to know the Government's standpoint on the issue in the backdrop of Thursday's decision to dissolve all consultative groups in the Planning Commission.

The Prime Minister is reported to have said that the process of consultations would continue as had been the practice in the past and that the Government could think of some mechanism for consultation. On Thursday, the Planning Commission said it would revert to the earlier practice of consulting individuals separately as part of the appraisal process. The Left leaders said there was also a reference to the lowering of the rate of provident fund with Dr. Singh wanting to know whether the Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, had a word with them. Mr. Chidambaram had separate meetings with the CPI and CPI (M) leaders last week. Mr. Raja apparently suggested that the Government should send a message by restoring the rate of interest.

Earlier, the Prime Minister briefed the Left leaders on his visit to the United Nations and the bilateral talks he had held with world leaders including, the United States President, George W. Bush, the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, and the Afghanistan President, Hamid Karzai.

Appreciation

The Left leaders appreciated India's stand and said these meetings were fruitful. Mr. Biswas was impressed by the work being done by India for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. He suggested that the Government publicise New Delhi's efforts in helping the people of war-ravaged country in various sectors.

The National Security Adviser, J.N. Dixit, and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, T.K.A. Nair, were present.

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