(inserting last two paras)

New Delhi June 23 (UNI) Incensed over UPA government's decision on selling stake in two PSUs and clear sugar and wheat imports, the Left parties today alleged that the Centre had succumbed to the whims and fancies of the WTO and sought rethinking on the subjects.

The measures would not solve the issue of general price rise but would further accentuate the problem, besides its heavy political cost for the UPA, the Left parties -- the CPI, CPI(M), RSP and Forward Bloc -- told UNI.

The government yesterday decided to disinvest ten per cent of its equity in two non-navratna public sector companies NALCO and Neyveli Lignite Coporation, besides allowing free import of wheat, pulses and sugar by private players to ''contain surging prices of essential commodities.'' The Left parties, who are likely to hold a joint meeting in first week of next month, will review the government's latest decision and might consider some ''drastic measure.'' CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan alleged the decisions were ''part of the deal the government has struck with the WTO'', and had nothing to do with actually controlling spiralling prices. ''Besides the government has not taken us into confidence on whether there is a real deficit in the market.. Is it man-made or was caused due to the government's failure to procure the buffer stock?,'' he asked.

The veteran communist said, ''The Left has really been bruised and slighted as it has already submitted a nine page comprehensive note a week ago, pointing out its reservations on the government's two-year performance and hoped that it would come clean. But the Manmohan Singh government has decided to go the other way.'' CPI National Secretary Shamim Faizi said the government's policy on economic reforms lacked ''human face''. ''The so called economic reforms are indeed aimed at making the country dependent on developed nations and creating a market for them.'' ''Now the Left has to decide its concrete response on the very crucial issue of food security,'' Mr Faizi said, adding that if the Indian market was flooded with imported foodgrains it might cause a short term gain, but would ultimately add to the woes of the peasantry.

Mr Faizi, the editor of party's weekly New Age, said the government had already indicated towards reducing the issue prices of essential commodities for the PDS. It would, he said, further hurt the poor and the lower middle classes.

''The market-oriented policies are responsible for going back to the old days of dependence on import of food grains. The food security of our people has been gravely undermined, as a result of such policies,'' a party statement said here.

''The government should go for procurement for foodgrains from the farmers ensuing remunerative prices, rather than relying on imports involving private traders,'' it added.

More UNI KSA YA DS1543