M A I N   N E W S

Montek World Bank man, says Basu

Kolkata, September 24
The standoff between the Left and the UPA government over the involvement of foreign experts in the Planning Commission took a serious turn with veteran CPM leader Jyoti Basu today launching a direct attack on Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, terming him a “World Bank man”.

Speaking to reporters just before a crucial meeting of the CPM here, Mr Basu said, “He (Montek) is (doing) all wrong. He belongs to World Bank. He is a World Bank man.”

Mr Basu, however, slightly softened his stand later when he was asked while coming out of the meeting whether the Left wanted Mr Ahluwalia to resign from his post and hinted that the matter could be resolved through discussions.

“Why should he (Montek) resign? He should change his mind. He should discuss with us”, the Left leader said.

Mr Basu, who had a luncheon meeting with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi last Saturday, however, made it clear that the Left parties would not accept the foreign experts in Planning Commission and that the matter would be taken up at the Left Front-UPA Coordination committee meeting immediately after the return of Prime Minister from New York.

“We do not want them (foreign experts) in the Planning Commission. We have enough economists in the country. What will they (foreign experts) do in the Planning Commission?” he said, adding that advice could be taken from foreign experts on economic matters.

Mr Basu, who was Chief Minister of West Bengal for 24 years, said that there was nothing wrong in seeking advice or funds from the World Bank or any other international body. He added that there were a number of World Bank and Asian Development Bank-funded projects in West Bengal.

He said that a few days after the return of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a meeting of the Left-UPA coordination committee would be convened in which these matters would be discussed as there was confusion following reports about the resignations of foreign as well as Indian experts from the Planning Commission.

“Their (World Bank, McKinsey) people have resigned. Our people (Left economists) have also resigned. I do not know what is going on,” Mr Basu said.

The Left parties led by CPM, which were providing crucial support to the UPA government, had resented the inclusion of experts from multilateral agencies like World Bank and McKinsey in the Consultative Groups of the Planning Commission.

New York: The face-off between some Indian economists and the Planning Commission on the inclusion of foreign experts in some of the consultative groups is likely to be resolved only after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia return home early next week.

Mr Ahluwalia said the Planning Commission would discuss the matter threadbare next week and declined to comment on the Left parties’ demand for removal of foreign experts from the consultative groups. — PTI, UNI

Cong denies World Bank lobby
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24
The Congress today denied existence of a World Bank lobby in the country and hoped the differences over appointment of foreign experts in the Planning Commission’s consultative panels would be sorted out through negotiations.

Responding to queries on reported remarks of senior CPM leader Jyoti Basu describing Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson as a World Bank man, AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters here that he did not agree with any such suggestions.