Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Thursday tried to broker peace between the Congress and the Left to sort out the disagreement on certain provisions of the Patents (Amendment) Bill, expected to be tabled in Parliament next week.Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee and Kamal Nath met CPM leader in the Lok Sabha Rupchand Pal at the Speaker’s residence on Thursday afternoon.Indications are that the government may climb down from its earlier stand and include some of the Left-proposed changes in the Amendment Bill to push it through Parliament. It would also to save the government the embarassment of the Patent Ordinance, introduced in December last year, from lapsing.The Left had proposed seven changes in the Amendment Bill relating to issues ranging from protection to domestic agro-products to software industry and HIV-AIDS kits. It is likely that the government may accept four of the changes proposed by the Left.Though Pal took part in today’s negotiations, the final decision on the issue would be taken at the ongoing CPM Politbureau meeting where the government’s offer would be discussed.Sources said the government also requested the Left to take into account the political fallout if the government is unable to pass the bill, as the BJP has decided to oppose it in the present form.Taking a political stand on the Bill, which was initially moved by the NDA government, the BJP is now demanding that it be referred to the Standing Committee.Nath, who held a round of discussions with the Opposition Leader L.K. Advani and ally Left without much headway, today sort the Speaker’s help to break the impasse.Indications are that the Left is likely to soften its stand on the issue if some of its concerns on what they called the ‘‘lopsided’’ Patent (Amendment) Bill is taken care of. A fresh ordinance will have to issued, if the government fails to clinch the Left’s support in passing the Bill next week.
