Cong leaves UP situation to govt to decide

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Feb 19: A crucial meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) tonight discussed the ''serious situation'' prevailing in Uttar Pradesh in the wake of the February 14 Supreme Court verdict, and left it to the Centre to take appropriate action.

''There is a general consensus among the members with regard to the situation in Uttar Pradesh. Naturally, it is now left to the government to decide,'' AICC Spokesmam and CWC member Janardhan Dwivedi told mediapersons after a three-hour-long meeting.

He said the meeting felt that ''the situation is serious and that the people are apprehensive.'' The Mulayam Singh government had lost moral right to contiune in office after the Supreme Court judgement disqualifying 13 legislators of the BSP whose support helped the Samajwadi Party to from its government in 2003.

Mr Dwivedi said Congress President Sonia Gandhi sought the views of individual members expressed their opinion on the inevitability of imposing the President's rule inUP.

But he refused to say what views did Ms Gandhi express on the issue.

Asked if the stand of the Left opposing the idea of imposing President's rule figured in the meeting, he said ''We don't comment on the stands of individual allies.'' Asked if the CWC recommended President's rule in Uttar Predesh, he reminded the mediapersons that the Congress was heading a coalition government and any government decision would be in consultation with all allies.

The CWC, attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also reviewed the economic situation, with-particular reference to price rise. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who was specially invited in the context of virulent opposition from the supporting Left parties over the spiralling prices of essential commodities, explained the measures taken by the government to rein in the prices.

Mr Chidambaram explained that the government had started releasing 400,000 tonnes of wheat under Open Market Sales Scheme for the months of February and March.

The sale of wheat would be targeted at those centres in various regions which were regularly recording high retail price.

The cutoms duty on import of pulses was reduced to zero duty on June 8, 2006. The period of validity of import of pulses has been extended up to August 1, 2007.

A ban was imposed on export of pulses with effect from June 27,2006 and is still continuing, Mr Chidambaram explained.

At the initiative of the government, the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NAFED) executed a contract for import of 49,000 tonnes of pulses of which entire quantity had been received.

Mr Chidambaram told the meeting that the NAFED executed in December 2006 for import of 36,000 tonnes of pulses of which 10,000 has been shifted as on FEbruary 13, 2007. This would increase the availability of pulses.

Mr Dwivedi said Mr Chidambaram had also informed the CWC members that the government had been monitoring prices of essential commodities on regular basis. A Committee of Secretaries has been meeting once in a week.

The CWC meeting began with a condolence reference to the fire accident to Samjhauta express and the demise of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shyama Charan Shukla.

UNI

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