All-party panel's efforts prove futile

By C. Gouridasan Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY 6. The efforts of the all-party delegation to Delhi to exert pressure on the Centre to withdraw the cut in subsidies and extend coverage of ration subsidy to more cardholding families in Kerala have proved futile with the Centre refusing to heed either of the demands.

The Union Minister for Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Mr. Shanta Kumar, virtually rejected the State's demand while replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Referring to the State's plea that subsidy should be extended to 42 per cent of the cardholding families in the State instead of the 25 per cent identified by the Planning Commission as belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category, he said there was no provision under the present public distribution system to accept the poverty line figures provided by the States.

The Union Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, had on Thursday rejected outright the demand for withdrawal of the cuts in subsidies on food and fertilizers. Mr. Sinha had told the Lok Sabha that any proposal for the withdrawal of the subsidy cut would have to wait till the recently- constituted Expenditure Commission undertook a comprehensive review of the existing system of food and fertilizer subsidies and suggested measures for streamlining and better targetting.

In the memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, the all-party delegation had pointed out that people below the poverty line were being forced to spend Rs. 675 instead of Rs. 540 for average consumption of rice, sugar and kerosene/cooking gas which was 25 per cent higher than the amount they used to spend earlier.

Now that the Central Government has rejected its two main demands, the State Government and its political leadership would have to put on their thinking caps and decide what their next course of action would be.Some of the Front leaders are of the view that the LDF should seek the cooperation of the Opposition UDF to put up a joint fight against the Centre's betrayal of the trust placed on it by Kerala. The Congress(I) and its allies are in no mood to join hands with the LDF for organising a popular agitation against the Centre, particularly because panchayat polls are round the corner.

The CPI State secretary, Mr. Veliyam Bhargavan, and the RSP general secretary, Mr. K. Pankajakshan, have come out in strong terms against the Central stand. Mr. Bhargavan has termed the Centre's refusal to heed the State's demands unjust and a breach of the commitment it had given to the State when imposing restrictions on free movement of foodgrains in the southern States. Mr. Pankajakshan has said that there must be a concerted reaction to the ``insolence'' of the BJP Government.

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Section  : Regional
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