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Left to oppose patents bill; passage imminent

The Left parties will oppose the controversial Patents (Amendment) Bill, 1998 when the government takes up the issue in Parliament on Monday.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader in the Rajya Sabha Biplab Das Gupta, however, admitted that given the shape of the House, with the Congress supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party on this issue, the bill will be passed notwithsanding their opposition.

He demanded a ''clause-by-clause'' scrutiny and said it should be referred to a House committee, a standing committee or a joint select committee. He pointed out there was no hurry in its passage since there is time till April 19, 1999 before the dispute settlement board of the WTO takes up the issue.

Das Gupta said in 1995 the BJP opposed the same bill. It was referred to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha. But the committee could not complete its task. Since then, there has been no development on the bill. Suddenly now the same BJP government wants to get it through, he said.

Das Gupta said the bill raises important constitutional issues relating to Centre-state relations as health and agriculture areas are likely to be affected by this legislation.

He suggested that it would have been better for the prime minister to convene a meeting of the National Development Council and allow the chief ministers to articulate their view on this issue, before taking the plunge.

The CPI-M leader claimed his party has the support of other parties.

Asked if they would put hurdles in its passage, he replied in the negative. ''We want our viewpoint to be heard.''

UNI

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