PM, Left sort out budget differences

     New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram on Thursday said that the government and the Communists have cleared their views on various issues, just five days ahead of the budget, which is expected to lay out further reforms. The Communist leaders met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for breakfast on Thursday. The coalition is likely to look at asset sales of 80 billion to 100 billion rupees in the budget for 2005/06 (April-March). Over the last few days, the Left has become more vocal in their demands and have warned the government against taking their support for granted. "Today we took the opportunity to clear their views, to receive their suggestions and to discuss those suggestions. All I can say is that the government has greatly benefited from those suggestions," Chidambaram told reporters after the meeting.

     Sitaram Yechuri, senior leader of CPI (M) said that the budget would be a test of the government's commitment to focus on the social sector and add a human touch to India's economic reforms, which Congress launched a decade and a half ago. "Many of these issues, which we think are directly connected with people's welfare, which is agreed upon between the government, the UPA and the Left, the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) today is the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), which is the policy direction of the government. So many of these points which we have given are contained already in the CMP and we think the government and the finance minister will consider these positively and this as the Finance Minister has just said is a very fruitful discussion," he said.

      The government has pledged to spend more on health, education and agriculture and has set up an investment fund for these sectors to be fed by privatisation proceeds. It is therefore keen to push ahead with sales of minority stakes in state firms. But, the Left is suspicious the government will use this money to bridge the fiscal deficit of Asia's fourth- largest economy, at a worrying 4.4 percent of GDP. Ahead of the government's first full budget, the Left is trying to put the brakes on dis-investment and moves to hike foreign investment caps in sectors such as banking and insurance.

Private schools in residential areas in Haryana told to close (Go To Top)

     Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered that all the private schools operating from residential premises not earmarked for schools should be closed down by April 30. The court order came during the hearing of a writ petition (No, 8094) filed in 1997. Following the HC order, the state government has directed the management of all such schools not to admit students in any class for the academic session 2005-06 onwards, a state government official said today. The official claimed that sufficient seats were available in the government schools across the state to accommodate the students as a result of the closure of such private schools. Parents of the students in such schools have also been advised not to admit their wards in the next academic session. According to the official, the list of such private schools was available with the Haryana Directorate of Secondary Education, and all the District Education Officers/ District Primary Education Officers.

256 killed in Kashmir, rescue operation stepped up (Go To Top)

     Jammu: Efforts to rescue the avalanche-hit people were intensified in Jammu and Kashmir on the fourth day as the death toll went up to 256 while 47 are still reported missing. However, 453 people have been rescued. The Jammu-Srinagar highway blocked for the 7th straight day today. Out of the 256 people killed, 196 have died in Kashmir alone, while 60 deaths have been reported in Jammu division. Among those rescued, 373 people are from Kashmir and 80 from Jammu, till this morning, police said. According to officials, "As many as 164 bodies have been recovered and 370 rescued from avalanches, which hit Nagni, Panznar and Waltingo villages, 10 km northwest of Qazigund in Anantnag district". In Kashmir, 14 were killed in Halsidan, 11 in Rangkund, two in Pakerpora, three in Chowgund and one in Reshipora. The officials claimed to have stepped up the rescue operations in the avalanche-hit areas with 23 still missing from Kashmir and another 19 from Jammu region. Elaborating about the Jammu division, 60 persons were killed and 80 were rescued from areas in Poonch and Doda districts. The recent spate of snowfall has turned the life of the residents of the area into hell and the basic amenities into luxury for most of the residents here. They have been spending life under virtual house arrest since it started snowing in the Kashmir valley. The valley has been cut-off from the rest of the country for the last few days.

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