Cong set to woo primary sector

Aware that urban growth stories cannot necessarily win political support, the Congress party is making efforts to reassure the primary sector.

Aware that urban growth stories cannot necessarily win political support, the Congress party is making efforts to reassure the primary sector. And this is not confined to agriculture alone. While Congress chief ministers8217; conclave on 23-24 September will focus on the farm sector, the party is also getting its acts together to rehabilitate workers in handloom, plantation, leather, handicrafts, gems and jewellery and minor forest produce.

At least six million employees, most of it from traditionally Congress supporting social groups such as Dalits, tribals and Muslims in these sectors, are under duress, unable to compete in the market, says Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh.

Ramesh, associated with policy-making, says the Union Government is making schemes that will develop infrastructure, technology support and market support for these vulnerable sections.

Election-going UP is the priority with the Centre including a third town, Varanasi 8212; after Barabanki and Mubarakpur 8212; in its Integrated Handloom Cluster Development Programme. Results of the programme will be tangibile within the next few months. Of UP8217;s 1.5 lakh weavers, half are in Varanasi. Politically-sensitive areas like Bhagalpur in Bihar are also part of the 20 centres.

Ramesh says since handloom is too costly for domestic mass market, the governemnt is promoting it to high-end stores such as FabIndia and Pantaloon and for export. 8220;Export promotion councils have been asked to focus on these areas. The idea is to connect the poor producer to the rich buyer,8221; he said. He said similar efforts would be made for gems and jewellery and leather sectors.

Ramesh said the Union government was sensitive to the challenges faced by plantation labourers in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengla and Karntaka because of liberal trade. Tea from Srilanka, Kenya and Vietnam, pepper from Sri Lanka and rubber from Thailand and Indonesia are threat to Indian plantation.

8216;Reservation will apply to foreign institutions8217;

NEW DELHI: Even as a consensus eludes the government on the entry of foreign universities in the country, HRD Minister Arjun Singh on Wednesday indicated that the reservation policy will apply in these institutions.

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8220;The law of the land, whatever it is, has to be fulfilled. People cannot be above the Constitution,8221; Singh told reporters when asked whether there would be reservation of seats for students in foreign institutions operating in the country and those that are being proposed. He said the Foreign Education Providers Regulation Bill, which has been referred to a Group of Ministers, was under discussion. 8212;PTI