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CPI(M) supports quota for women in parliament

     New Delhi: The Communist Party of India (M) key allies of ruling Congress party today supported a contentious legislation promising 33 percent quota to women in the country's parliament. The Bill introduced a couple of times since 1999 has been stalled due to stiff protests by a section of the Opposition. The previous ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had last year passed a resolution on providing double member constituencies, one reserved for women, and raising the strength of Parliament by 181 seats in a bid to pacify the detractors.

     But though a majority of political parties have supported the constitutional amendment Bill, two prominent socialist parties -- the Samajwadi party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal -- oppose it in its present form. The two parties favour a specific quota for other backward classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and minorities within the proposed 33 percent reservation for women. The leftists, however, want the Bill to be tabled immediately in its present form. "I am only saying that the Bill has to be brought in its present form. Let amendments be moved by whoever wants amendment. The whole matter can be discussed in the standing committee thoroughly. Our commitment is for no change," general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) A.B Bardhan said after a meeting with Home Minister Shivraj Patil here.

Explosives seized from a busy railway station, four arrested (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: At least four persons were arrested here today for carrying illegal weapons and explosives at a busy railway station days ahead of the country's Republic Day celebrations. Members of the anti-terrorist squad seized the explosives from a taxi parked outside the station. Police officials said six country made revolvers, four crude bombs and 46 live cartridges were seized in the wee hours. K P Raghuvanshi, Joint Commissioner of anti-terrorist squad of police, said they had laid a trap of receiving a tip off and the four were arrested on their way to Worli, a suburb. "During interception we recovered these weapons and four crude bombs. And we have arrested four people. The operation was done today morning. They had come from Uttar Pradesh. Other things would be known investigation." Raghuvanshi said Ashok Kumar, Ramavtar, Abhimanyu and Manoj Kumar are from north India and arrived in the city through Golden Temple train from New Delhi. The four are expected to be produced before a local court for remand to police custody. Police across the country are on high alert after intelligence inputs said anti-national elements could target crowded places ahead of the national day that falls on January 26.

India's rural, middle class to get key focus in Union Budget (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: India's masses will be a crucial focus of the country's federal budget for 2005-2006, Finance Ninister P Chidambaran said today, after his prebudget meeting with ruling Congress lawmakers here. Pre-budget consultations with various representations of economy, trade and industry and labour unions are a traditional practice in India. Chidambram is expected to woo India's massive and powerful rural and middle-class with a cautiously reformist financial plan but analysts say will find it extremely tough to hold promises of cutting poverty, creating jobs and spurring agricultural growth with his political compulsions, particularly pressure from the government's fiery Leftist allies. The budget, likely on February 28, would be Chidambaram's first full budget since the Congress party led coalition took office in May. In July, he presented a truncated budget for eight months to March, 2005. "We are all agreed on the six to seven programmes which hold the highest importance to our people, especially the common people of India. I have benefited from this exercise. I said when I will present the budget they will find that their views are adequately and substantially reflected in the budget," Chidamabaram told reporters. Chidambram has also said that he would attempt to correct and simplify the "convoluted tax structures" in telecom, petroleum, manmade textiles and sugar industries. Local reports say the budget is expected to strike a delicate balance between the need for higher social sector spending and the policy to reduce allocations to areas that have not been properly used. Debutant lawmaker Jyotiraditya Scindia said the key areas promised by the government in its common minimum programme will not be compromised. "I think the five areas he outlined agricultrue, education these are the areas of focus and asked for suggestions from various members on these areas. These delibrations have been going on and are presently also going on, so we gave our inputs on various sectors including employment."