Govt ready to discuss with Left parties on land issue: AICC

Hyderabad, Aug 9 (UNI) All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Digvijay Singh today said the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh was ready to discuss with the Left parties their agitation for house sites to the poor in the State.

Addressing a press conference here, after the State Coordination and Manifesto Implementation Committees meeting, he said, ''We will discuss the issue with the CPI(M) and CPI and seek their support. As all of us are alliance partners of the UPA, we have to achieve the Common Minimum Programme and agenda of both the Congress and the Left parties is same - providing lands to landless poor.'' He said he met CPI delegation today and discussed the land issue.

He was ready to discuss the same with CPI(M) any time. ''When I, along with Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, met the Central Left party leaders in New Delhi, they suggested us to discuss the matter with the State Left party leaders as it was a State subject.'' While the Left parties were asking for house sites, the government had taken up housing programme in a big way in the State Mr Singh said, adding that the main idea of the government was to provide houses to the homeless before April 2009.

On the Left parties' demand for constitution of independent land commission to solve land-related issues, he said the commissions appointed by the government could not be above the government. He said all commissions should submit their recommendations to the Cabinet.

Mr Singh said he had requested the Left parties to come out with a proposal with clarity on the terms of reference of the commission and whether it should be quasi-judicial or independent.

Asked about the justification for the Left parties' demand for house sites when the government had taken up a housing scheme, he said, ''We are all political parties. Every party has its own agenda. The Congress party and the State Government is ready to discuss the issue with the Left parties any time as the government is committed to the welfare of the people.'' UNI BR VA RJ HS1752