M A I N   N E W S

No early polls, reforms on track: PM
Meets Chinese Prez Xi, wants Beijing to set up joint mechanism to monitor Brahmaputra dams
Raj Chengappa
on board pm’s aircraft

March 28
Despite the desertion of several key UPA allies including the DMK recently, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today ruled out early Lok Sabha polls stating, “I am confident that our government will complete its full five years and that the election to the next Lok Sabha will take place on schedule.”

The Prime Minister also asserted that despite “the uncertainties” he was convinced that his government would be able “to push through key economic reforms especially those that would provide results in the next few months”.

Speaking on a range of issues to the media on board the special flight on his return from the BRICS summit in Durban late this evening, Manmohan Singh revealed that in his first bilateral meeting with new Chinese President Xi Jinping he had raised the issue of China building dams over the Brahmaputra.

The Prime Minister stated that he had requested the Chinese President to provide a joint mechanism to enable India to assess the type of construction activity going on in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Manmohan Singh said Xi had assured him that these were run-of-the river projects and there was no cause for India to worry but agreed to have his request of a joint mechanism further looked into.

On the domestic front, the Prime Minister denied that the Congress had lost the ability to hold its allies together stating, "Alliances do have compulsions which have to been taken into account but we will not allow these to derail the reform process or create a situation where the essential talks of governing the country can be put aside."

The Prime Minister did express concern though about the rising current account deficit stating, "It does worry me and we must seek to bring the deficit down to a more acceptable level."

Manmohan Singh dodged a question whether he would accept a nomination by his party to serve a third term as Prime Minister in case the Congress retains power after the polls stating, "We will cross that bridge when we reach there." On the just concluded BRICS summit he stated he was "glad that a number of important steps had been taken particularly those conceived at the New Delhi summit of the grouping held last year." With regard to quest for membership of the UN Security Council, he said, "There is a need to revisit the Security Council membership taking into account contemporary realities and countries like India should certainly find a place in the expanded Security Council."

On the delays in implementing the nuclear deals signed with Russia, France and the US because of issues such as India's nuclear liability law, he said, "I am confident that we will be able to find practical, pragmatic solutions to various issues that have arisen.

On Coalition Compulsions

Alliances do have compulsions which have to been taken into account but we will not allow these to derail the reform process or to create a situation where the essential talks of governing the country can be put aside.
— Manmohan Singh, PM