Maritime Univ Bill to be referred to Parliamentary Committee:Left

New Delhi, Mar 13 (UNI) The government today assured the Left parties that the controversial Indian Maritime University Bill, 2007, which rocked the Lok Sabha today, would be referred to the Standing Committee of Parliament.

After a meeting convened by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to resolve the issue, CPI(M) Parliamentary Group leader Sitaram Yechury told newspersons that the matter had been sorted out amicably.

''First Mr Mukherejee will introduce the bill and then it will be referred to the Standing Committee of Parliament...besides, the government will also talk to us,'' Mr Yechury said.

The Lower House witnessed frequent adjournments over the introduction of the Bill, with a scuffle breaking out between members of the Left parties and the DMK besides other parties from Tamil Nadu.

The Left members had tried to prevent Minister for Surface Transport T R Baalu from introducing the Bill which proposes to set up a maritime research and studies centre of the national level in Tamil Nadu instead of Kolkata. One Left member even tried to snatch a copy of the Bill from the Minister.

This was protested by DMK MPs who surged forward in support of the Minister, leading to the scuffle.

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