Left has its say, UPA its way on EPF, FDI

It was only in respect of the EPF demand that the Finance Minister sounded a little more positive, saying it was under the government’s ‘‘active consideration’’.

Today’s discusssions at 7 Race Course Road began with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apologising on behalf of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for her absence. Sonia had sent a note saying she would have to stay away because of illness.

The focus of the meeting was on price rise. In the presence of the PM, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Congress leader Ahmed Patel and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram explained what the government was doing to combat the problem. The Left chipped in, demanding strong action against striking truck owners.

On freezing FDI cap in telecom at the current level, Chidambaram said the government’s stand after the Left elaborated on the views they had already put down in the notes despatched to the PM two days ago. Ditto on the demand for status quo in EPF rate. The UPA government said both demands would be under its ‘‘active consideration’’.

The joint note released at the end said the ‘‘meeting took note of the fiscal measures taken by the government on the duties of petroleum products and steel products’’. It more than implied that the Left had appreciated these moves and wanted it recorded in the statement.

The Left also ‘‘welcomed’’ the government’s plan to set up the Board of Reconstruction for Public Sector Enterprises. Earlier, it had expressed fears that the board would just become a tool to dismantle the sick PSEs.