'Left panel meet to review UPA performance'

Chennai, June 12: A meeting of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee will be held to review the perfomance of the two-year-old UPA Government at the Centre, Communist Party of India (CPI) National Secretary D Raja said today.

Addressing the press here, Mr Raja said the Committee will submit a detailed report to the UPA Government about its 'poor' perfomance in some aspects, especially its 'anti-people and anti-labour attitude.' If the UPA Government failed to respond positively to the report, the committee will meet once again to decide on the future course of action.

He cautioned the government against taking the Left support for granted. The stability and longevity of the UPA Government depended on the implementation of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) in letter and spirit.

''If the UPA Government neglects the Left's just and reasonable demands for people's welfare, the consequences could be very serious,'' Mr Raja warned.

While the Left whole-heartedly welcomed the government's rural employment guarantee programme, as mentioned in the CMP, they wanted the scheme to be implemented at the national level.

He also welcomed the government's action in brining about the Right to Information Act and repeal of the POTA.

However, Mr Raja said the government could have done more, in tune with the CMP, like bringing about a nationwide legislation for protecting farm labourers' interest, 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative assemblies and Parliament and implementation of new economic policies refelecting the agriculture sector also.

Though the government had claimed the GDP grew by 7.5 to eight per cent, it was not reflected in the agriculture sector.

The agriculture sector was still in deep crisis and the conditions of farmers were very pathetic with suicides continuing among them.

UNI