CPI(M) non-committal on FM's performance

New Delhi, Dec 15: The CPI(M) today declined comment on Finance Minister P Chidambaram's performance in the wake of the UPA government's completion of half of its term, saying that the individuals did not matter to them.

''For us, the individuals don't matter, what is important to us is the collective responsibility of the UPA government to which we have extended our outside support on the basis of Common Minimum Programme,'' CPI(M) Floor leaders in the Lok Sabha told mediapersons here.

When pressed for their comments on Mr Chidambaram's performance about which some political parties have expressed doubts, while Floor leader Basudeb Acharia advised the newspersons to read their party's critical appraisal on the government's performance, Mr Rup Chand Pal said, ''There is no question of the Finance Minister being good or bad.'' When pressed further how many marks the CPI(M) would give to Mr Chidambaram on the scale of 100, Mr Pal quipped, ''This is for the media to analyse.'' To a specific query whether they were ''satisfied'' with the government's achievements, the Left leaders chose to give an evasive reply, ''While the National Rural Guarantee Scheme, the Right to Information Act and now the Tribal Bill are among things to welcome, but much more has to be done to stop the process of disinvestment, generating employment, investment in agricultural sector and containing price rise.'' They also emphasised that yesterday's all India industrial strike could be viewed in the backdrop of their dissatisfaction with the government's ongoing economic and labour policies.

UNI