CPI(M) urges govt to reject revised drafts at WTO meet

New Delhi, Jul 17 (UNI) The Comunist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the Government to reject the revised drafts in the upcoming five-day WTO mini-ministrial meeting at Geneva beginning July 21.

The party, in a press statement issued here today said, India stands to loose immensely from the proposals on the Mini-Ministrial meeting.

The Indian Government should not yield any further ground in Agriculture or Mon-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) and the matter must be discharged in the Indian Parliament.

It said the two texts on Agriculture and NAMA issued on May 19 will form the basis of the negotiations. These texts reflect the efforts of the advanced countries led by the US to tilt the outcome of the Doha Round, which was supposed to be a "development" round, decisively against the interest of the developing countries.

The revised text on Agriclture requires the developing countries, including India, to reduce tariffs on agricultural products by 36 per cent, which if agreed upon would harm the interest of the small and marginal farmers, the release added UNI BKS AKJ GC1821