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Left MPs stage dharna outside Parliament against Budget

Seventy members of Parliament from Left parties today staged a one-hour dharna at the main entrance gate of Parliament as part of the nation-wide protest against the ''anti-poor'' Union Budget 1998-99 presented by Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha.

Protesting members from both houses of Parliament held banners and placards charting their demands and shouted slogans denouncing the government.

They described the Budget and some pre-Budget policy measures such as putting 340 items on the open general licence as opening the doors to multinational corporations and bowing down to international pressure from institutions dominated by the western countries.

The MPs also protested against the government's decision to divest 75 per cent of the equity in the public sector units, including of those which were ''highly profit-making". Their total investment amounted to Rs 15 million. The move was intended to ''hand over'' these companies to the private sector at the cost of the national economy. The employees in the PSUs would be out of jobs if these were privatised, the MPs said.

The government, instead of privatising the PSUs, should strengthen these.

The MPs also protested against price rise of essential commodities and the government's failure to hold the price line.

There were 48 Lok Sabha members and 26 Rajya Sabha members from the Left parties.

Later, addressing the media, Left party and trade union leaders said there was a total industrial strike in West Bengal today.

Inside the Rajya Sabha, too, the Opposition today launched a scathing attack on the government for its ''failure'' to check the rise in prices of essential commodities and demanded effective steps to bring the situation under control.

"The prices of essential goods were increasing because of the Budget proposals of the government, the Pokhran nuclear tests and the steady decline in the value of rupee, Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) said, participating in the discussion on the issue raised through a special mention.

He said, ''Never before has there been such an increase in the prices of vegetables.'' The government should invoke the Essential Commodities Act and ban exports of essential goods, he added.

Mohammed Salim (CPI-M) alleged that the business lobby close to the BJP was trying to take advantage of the situation. Even as the essential commodities were being exported, their prices were being jacked up in the domestic market, he added.

Prof V K Malhotra (BJP), who raised the matter, admitted that there had been a rapid increase in the prices of essential commodities. He said the price of edible oil had increased because its import from Indonesia had been stopped.

The Opposition members were amused when Prof Malhotra (BJP) said the prices of fruits and vegetables had increased because of rains in different parts of the country. The Opposition members alleged that Prof Malhotra was trying to find lame excuses for the price rise. In a lighter vein, Prof Malhotra said, ''This is the excuse we used to be given by the ministers when we occupied Opposition benches.''

S S Ahluwalia (Cong) said the government should firmly deal with black-marketeers and hoarders. He said the poor people were not even getting chilly, onion and other such essential items.

Janardhan Yadav (RJD) said the government should give due attention to the issue.

UNI