Thursday, July 6 2006 18:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Welcoming the Government decision to keep on hold all disinvestment decisions and proposals, Left parties today said such a move was in the national interest and their 'pressure' on the government on this count was not meant to destabilise it.

"We think that this sort of disinvestment is neither in the interest of the country, nor in the interest of the public assets. Keeping this in mind, we had opposed it," CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.

Asked whether there was a threat to the UPA Government from the Left parties, he said, "I don't think so, because the dispute here is on issues. The dispute is not on finding issues to create some other type of a government".

He made it clear that any fresh government in the 14th Lok Sabha would need to have support from either the Congress or the BJP.

"The Left and secular forces will not take support of BJP. The Congress, (if it pulls down the UPA government) is unlikely to support anybody. It is pretty common sense. In such a case, instability will mean another election", Yechury said.

CPI National Secretary D Raja also said, "There is no threat factor. There is convergence of views on this issue and the government cannot ignore such views".

Commenting on the DMK's threat to withdraw support over disinvestment of Neyveli Lignite Corporation and NALCO, Yechury said, "If others also join us, then we think we are strengthening India".

Welcoming the government decision, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said his party 'appreciated' the stand taken by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in defence of the public sector.



"We congratulate the employee of the two public sector undertakings for their firm struggle against the disinvestment," he said in a statement.



Raja said the Government was left with no option but to concede to the demands of its allies. He said the government should not have gone ahead with the disinvestment proposals as it was against the National Common Minimum Programme.

"The Government should not have taken such a decision (to divest its equity in PSUs). PSUs are the strength of economy and the diversion of government equity will weaken them and the economy," he said, adding the Government should implement alternative proposals proposed by the Left parties for resource mobilisation.

Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas and RSP leader Abani Roy also welcomed the decision saying it was a 'victory of the working class'.

Roy, who is also the General Secretary of UTUC, said the decision shows that there is no other way left to the working class but to struggle unitedly to stall such anti-people policies.

Nathu La is the third border point between India and China after Lipulekh pass in Uttaranchal and Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh.

The traders from both sides will use passes for border trade and to start with 60 four-wheeled vehicles, including passenger buses, would also be given these, External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi.

The number could be increased or decreased based on mutual agreement, it said.

The border trade mart shall be open from June one to September 30 every year. It is for the designated authorities of the two sides to extend or reduce this period of trade when considered necessary on account of exigencies like weather conditions, the ministry said.

The marts on both sides will be open from Monday to Thursday between 7.30 AM and 3.30 PM IST.

India and China had on June 23,2003 signed the Memorandum on Expanding Border Trade which provides for the use of Nathu La for the purpose of border trade between the two countries.

Modalities for conducting border trade between the two countries are laid out in the Memorandum on the Resumption of Border Trade signed between the two countries in December 1991 and the Protocol on Entry and Exit Procedures for Border Trade signed in July 1992, External Affairs Ministry said in Delhi.

All the provisions of these two documents would be applicable for border trade through Nathu La. Other details were worked out between the two countries when an Indian delegation visited the Tibet Autonomous Region from June 17-20.