Thursday, April 21 2005 22:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Left parties today (Apr 21, 2005) decided to ask Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to withdraw the pension bill that provides for setting up of a regulator and switching over to a defined contributory pension scheme.

Left parties including Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM), Communist Party of India (CPI), Republican Socialist Party (RSP) and Forward Bloc also opposed the proposal to amend the Electricity Act saying they were against the interest of workers.

"We don't agree with the pension bill. We have decided to write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against the bill," CPI national secretary D Raja said, after a meeting of left parties in New Delhi today.

Although the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority bill was introduced in Parliament and referred to the Standing Committee of Finance, Raja said, "It is for Government to reconsider it."

The meeting was attended by representatives of CPM, CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc.

While the new general secretary Prakash Karat and Polit Buro member Sitaram Yechuri represented CPM, A B Bardhan and Raja of CPI were present in the meeting. Abani Roy represented RSP and Devarajan of Forward Bloc also attended the meeting.