The Hindu : National : Indecision on Tribal Bill a sign of weakness: CPI

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Friday, Aug 25, 2006

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Indecision on Tribal Bill a sign of weakness: CPI

Special Correspondent

Panel had made a unanimous recommendation

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India on Thursday criticised the Government for not introducing the Tribal Bill in the current session of Parliament, scheduled to end on Friday.

Its "indecision is a sign of weakness and is dangerous for governance," Parliamentary party leader Gurudas Dasgupta, along with MPs S. Sudhakar Reddy, C.K. Chandrappan and Ajay Chakraborty, told a press conference here.

Though a parliamentary committee had made a unanimous recommendation, the Government was diluting it. For instance, the panel suggested that 2005 be the cut-off year but the Government wanted it to be 1980. "This means at least a generation of forest dwellers who have settled in the area after 1980 would be displaced."

Special economic zones

On the move to allow more Special Economic Zones, Mr. Dasgupta said, "The Government is creating islands of prosperity in a land of poverty. This would lead to greater disparity and imbalance in economic development.

Criticising it for not controlling prices, the CPI asked why no action was being taken under the Essential Commodities Act against hoarders and black marketeers.

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