Women's Bill to be introduced in winter session, says Karat

New Delhi, Nov 13 (UNI) The introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill in the winter session of Parliament is now a certainty with the Left-UPA Coordination Committee today taking a favourable view on the proposed law.

The two sides, however, differed on the Tribal Bill and the Pension Bill while deciding to continue with the discussion between the Group of Ministers (GoM) and the Left leaders on the controversial Special Economic Zone (SEZ) policy.

The meeting also could not arrive at a decision on the Left demand for slashing the prices of petrol and diesel following the fall in international crude oil prices.

''We have asked the government to introduce the Women's Reservation Bill in the winter session of Parliament,'' CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat told UNI after the nearly three-hour meeting held at the 7 Race Course Road residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

According to Mr Karat, the government will take the matter to the UPA for a formal decision on bringing the Women's Bill giving 33 per cent reservation to women in state assemblies and Parliament in the winter session beginning November 22.

''The government said they would place the matter before the UPA,'' he said. ''We expect that the Bill will be introduced in the winter session.'' Mr Karat said there was no agreement on the introduction of the Bill conferring forest right on tribals because of persisting differences.

''We want the government to include the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee in the Bill,'' said Mr Karat.

The two sides could not agree also on the controversial Pension Bill and the SEZ policy.

According to sources, there was a long discussion on the Pension Bill but no meeting point. The Left leaders and the GoM will meet to discuss what changes could be made in the SEZ policy, the sources added.

The 14th UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting was also attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Besides Mr Karat, the Left parties were represented by CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, CPI (M) polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury, Forward Bloc general secretary D Biswas and RSP secretary Abani Roy.

Mr Karat had demanded changes in the SEZ policy in favour of the people, specially farmers, who face displacement from the land acquired by industrialists for the purpose.

Mr Karat had also written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking reduction in petrol and diesel prices to the pre-June level. The government had increased the fuel prices by Rs 4 for petrol and Rs 2 for diesel after international oil prices rose subtantially early this year. Following protests, the petrol price was later brought down by one rupee.

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