PM reconstitutes trade panel

NEW DELHI, NOV 13: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has reconstituted a key panel on trade and industry which will include leading ind...

NEW DELHI, NOV 13: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has reconstituted a key panel on trade and industry which will include leading industrialists. The panel includes Tata group chairman Ratan Tata, vice chairman of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani, RPG group8217;s Sanjeev Goenka, Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, N Srinivasan of India Cements, Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy, Bombay Dyeing chairman Nusli Wadia, SPIC8217;s A C Muthiah, BPL8217;s Rajeev Chandrasekar, Calcutta-based industrialist Gouri Prasad Goenka and Bajaj Auto chairman, Rahul Bajaj.

The government said in a statement on Saturday that Prime Minister8217;s Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra will be a member of the council and N K Singh, secretary in the Prime Minister8217;s Office, will be member-secretary of the council. Prominent among those who missed the bus are: Essar Group chairman Shashi Ruia, HLL chairman Keki Dadiseth and Pharma industry representatives. The first meeting of the reconstituted council will take place inDecember.

The council was created in August 1998 and had set up six-subject groups in specific areas. These subject groups had submitted important recommendations in the areas of food and agro-industries, capital markets, financial sector initiatives, knowledge-based industries, infrastructure service industries and administrative and legal simplifications. 8220;Many of the recommendations on these issues have been implemented by government through last year8217;s budget and other policy initiatives were taken by the concerned ministries,8221; says the release. 8220;The Prime Minister believes that close interaction between trade, industry and government will contribute to the realisation of its developmental objectives and this partnership should be strengthened,8221; says the release.

The council on trade and industry provides an important opportunity for policy dialogue on economic issues between the Prime Minister and the members of the council, the release said. The council has been constituted keeping in view thediverse experience of its members in manufacturing, trade and services and also to give representation to apex organisations.

Yesterday, Vajpayee had reconstituted his economic advisory council to give added emphasis to both agriculture and infrastructure. Infrastructure will top the PM8217;s economic agenda as Dr Ashok Gulati of the Institute of Economic Growth, Dr Rakesh Mohan who authored the India Infrastructure Report and Deepak Parekh of the Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation have joined the panel. According to officials, the prime minister wants to go full steam ahead with economic reforms with the objective of helping the common man. Till date, the reforms big problems like poverty and unemployment continues to haunt the people.