No deal if India's concerns on farm and industry not addressed:Nath

New Delhi, Jul 20 (UNI) As the week-long mini-ministerial of the World Trade Organisation begins in Geneva tomorrow, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath reached home today after stating that ''If the sensitivities of our agriculture sector and infant industry like textiles, chemicals and auto are not respected, there will be no deal.'' Mr Nath, before heading home to take part in the two-day special session of the Lok Sabha from tomorrow, strongly objected to a proposal, which will allow the United States to increase its trade-distorting subsidies for agriculture by an additional five billion dollars.

Commerce Secretary G K Pillai will hold fort tomorrow and the day after at the ministerial in Geneva in the absence of the Minister.

The latest draft on farm modalities circulated by the Chair on agriculture has given a special 'carve-out' to the US in the form of a different base period for subsidy calculation than others which will allow it to maintain higher subsidies.

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