Goverment may yield to roll back of prices

Dissatisfied with the Minister’s reply, Left and RJD members staged a walkout saying "we are not getting categorical assurance from the government on the issue".

The House later passed the motion by a voice vote giving parliamentary approval to the President’s address. The motion was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The agitated Opposition members said if Jaswant Singh was not in a position to announce a rollback in the price hike, he should at least give an assurance that the matter would be reconsidered.

But this was not forthcming, they said before walking out.

Singh said no individual, including the Prime Minister, could give an assurance without consulting the Cabinet. As he was bound by the system, he would convey it to the Cabinet which could look into the issue, he said.

Singh, who is also External Affairs Minister, said the issue of food subsidies was under government’s attention and "concerned Ministers will address these concerns" apparently hinting it would be dealt with by Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha when the Finance Bill would be taken up.

Leader of Opposition Manmohan Singh said it was only appropriate that the Government gave an assurance for a rollback as practically the entire Opposition and several BJP allies had made this demand.

As Jaswant Singh stood up to reply, CPI (M) member Jibon Roy objected saying only the Prime Minister should reply to the motion.

However, senior Congress member Pranab Mukherjee said there was nothing wrong if the leader of the House replies in the absence of the Prime Minister but this should not become a practice.

Jaswant Singh announced setting up of a Task Force to go into the falling investments in agriculture which formed the backbone of Indian economy. Its members would be announced shortly.

He rejected Left members’ allegation that the government was selling Public sector assets at throwaway prices under the garb of privatisation.

There was was no basis in the allegation, he said asserting the government would not sell PSUs even "one paisa less than its actual value".

Stressing the need for evolving a broad-based consensus on economic liberalisation, Singh said there could be no two opinions that Central and state governments’ financial health should be restored by cutting wasteful expenditure and downsizing the government.