Bengal Govt to table Singur bill today 

Govt committed to return 400 acre land to peasants

Kolkata, June 13 (PTI): The West Bengal government will table a bill in the assembly tomorrow seeking to revoke the Singur lease agreement with the Tatas and take back the land leased to them.The Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011 would be introduced, considered and passed by the House, minister of state for parliamentary affairs Manoj Chakraborty told reporters after an all-party meeting prior to the assembly session.The state cabinet met in the assembly premises to give final shape to the bill, he said.The state government earlier decided to bring the bill after dropping an ordinance with the House session preponed from June 24 to today.Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said that her government was committed to return the 400 acre to unwilling farmers and the remaining nearly 600 acre for industry.Stating that the budget session would be brief, Çhakraborty said that after the Governor's customary address, the House would deliberate on the discussion on the motion of thanks to his address on June 15, 16 and 17 before adoption.Almost all parties attended the meeting convened by Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay who also called a business advisory committee meeting to finalise the modalities of discussion on the Singur Bill.Meanwhile, The CPI(M) in West Bengal today accused the state government of launching an unprecedented attack on the rights and privileges of Opposition members by flouting rules of the assembly."It is an unprecedented attack on the rights and privileges of the Opposition members the way the major ruling party is preparing business of the House from the beginning in a hurry without even giving notice to the members in advance," Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Surjya Kanta Mishra told reporters here.Mishra earlier raised the matter with Governor MK Narayanan in the House through calling attention notice before he began to address the members of the House."I was informed of the Assembly schedule, which was advanced from June 24 to June 13, only on Friday by the state Parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee over cell phone when I was on way to Hyderabad ," he said.The senior CPI(M) leader said only two members, including himself, received official notice, and that too "just before the House began today which is not as per the rules of the House and convention."Mishra wondered why the government was in a hurry to advance the session and said they were ready to extend all help if rules of the House and its conventions were maintained.

CPI, CPI (M) likely tomerge, hints Yechury

‘Well-wishers want it as soon as possible’

Hyderabad, June 13 (PTI): CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury today hinted at a possible merger of the two Left parties - CPI and CPI(M) in the near future. He, however, said that no time-frame could be given as to how long the process might take.Yechury was speaking at a 'Meet the Press' organised by the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ)."The merger of the two parties, however, desirable it may be, has to undergo a certain process.One way of doing it is through the unification of various mass organisations and joint activities at the lower level, which will percolate to the top," he said."I think that is a more sustainable path, rather than the leadership coming together. So that is a process that is on. The parties are working together now at the mass organisation level," Yechury added.When asked if the process could eventually lead to the merger of the two parties, he replied, "Hope so". At the same time, he refused to give a time-frame. "We cannot give a time table. But all the well-wishers of the Left want it to happen as soon as possible," he said.Highlighting the CPI(M)'s commitment towards fighting corruption, he said his party demanded comprehensive anti-corruption measures, including an effective Jan Lokpal legislation bringing the Prime Minister under its ambit, setting up of a National Judicial Commission to oversee the judiciary and electoral reforms to curb the use of money power.Replying to a query on the anti-corruption campaigns by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, Yechury said nobody can claim to be representing the entire civil society."The issue raised by them is important. But I don't think anybody can claim that they represent the entire civil society. If they are civil society, who are we? Uncivil society? Everybody is part of the civil society," he said.Saying that he disagreed with Hazare's comments on the voters, he said, "Disparaging remarks should not be made about voters and electoral democracy, as the same voters had once defeated the imposition of emergency and communalism in the country."The CPI(M) leader asserted that the final decision with regard to the Lokpal Bill has to be taken by the Parliament, "as it is the place, where laws of the land are made after a due consultation process and debate."Yechury also claimed that the number of youths who like the Left ideology is growing, as they felt that it would provide solutions to the problems arising out of the global economic crisis.He once again admitted that his party committed certain mistakes in West Bengal , which led to its defeat in the elections. He said that corrective measures are being taken after the polls.

Union Cabinet reshuffle on cards!

New Delhi, June 13 (PTI): An expansion of the Union Cabinet and reshuffle of the ministry and appointment of some Governors and top bureaucrats in some of the key ministries are expected to take place later this month.Sources said the changes may take place once Prime Minister Manmohan Singh undertakes the process of consultation with Congress President Sonia Gandhi after her return from a holiday this week-end.The talk in ruling party circles is that the exercise could take place later this month or early July, ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament. The possibility of reshuffle has brightened after the victory of Mamata Banerjee, who became the Chief Minister of West Bengal , and resigned as Railway Minister at the CentreThere is speculation that her party colleague Mukul Roy, who has been given additional charge of Minister of State in the Railway, will be elevated to the Cabinet rank in the Railway ministry.Ministers like Kapil Sibal are holding more than one portfolio. While there are some vacancies including that created by the resignation of A Raja in the wake of the 2G spectrum scam and Prithviraj Chavan, who became Chief Minister of Maharashtra .There is also talk of appointment of Governors with some incumbent holding the post in more than one state like Rajasthan.In Tamil Nadu, S S Barnala has far outlasted his tenure as Governor of the state and the Centre may be looking at a new candidate.In the bureaucracy, Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai is retiring this month end while Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao will retire next month.