Date:03/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/03/stories/2009070360771000.htm

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Karat warns Centre over law on foreign capital

Prakash Karat

HYDERABAD: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat has warned the Centre against rushing through legislation for setting up a pension regulatory authority and allowing foreign direct investment in education, saying several parties, including the Left, have “strong reservations” about them.

He expressed concern that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government was trying to go ahead with its plans to open up the banking sector for foreign investment and allow foreign capital in the insurance sector, which he said were not in the interests of the country. The Left parties, he said, would mobilise the support of other parties against such policies.

Mr. Karat was here to attend the party’s broad-based State executive meeting to review the party’s performance in the recent elections and chalk out its future course of action on issues of public importance.

In an informal chat with reporters, he faulted the Union Human Resource Development Ministry’s proposal to do away with the Standard X examination and have a common examination for Standard XII through a national board.

“Given the magnitude of diversity in the country, it is inconceivable to centralise school education. School education is the prerogative of States and any proposal dealing with the sector should be sent to them,” he said. He strongly objected to the way in which the prices of petrol and diesel were hiked on the eve of the commencement of the budget session of Parliament. The rise, he said, was unjustified, as it would have a cascading effect on the prices of essential commodities, which significantly increased despite the Centre’s claims on “negative inflation.”

Mr. Karat said the Central Committee, which analysed the party’s performance in the recent elections, felt that efforts for forging a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative were necessary and correct. The Left would continue its efforts in this regard.