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No differences over divestment issue: Advani

Making light of the controversy over divestment, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani has said that views on the mode of privatisation cannot be called "differences" within the government.

He also said in an interview to PTI that the Kelkar Taskforce recommendations on tax reforms were only a consultation paper to elicit public opinion and not a government decision yet.

To a question on differences within the government on divestment policy, Advani said " "there are no differences."

"Just because there are two views on the divestment of the two oil companies (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation), it cannot be said there are differences," he said.

Even those who were committed to liberalisation and divestment had two views on the mode of privatisation through strategic route, Advani said.

To present this as differences within the government was not proper, he said, adding that government had been pursing the divestment policy for the last four years.

On Kelkar's reforms on which even sections of BJP had expressed reservations, the Deputy Prime Minister said he had a brief discussion with Finance Minister Jaswant Singh.

He said he had not gone through the recommendations yet and that the finance minister himself was not in agreement with some of the things mentioned in the report.

On the slow progress of reforms legislations, Advani said the government will consult political parties to evolve consensus on early passage of crucial economic bills in the winter session of Parliament.

"There is a proposal to consult political parties. I believe Finance Minister (Jaswant Singh) has already taken some initiative and was holding discussions with opposition parties," he said.

As many as 23 economic bills, including the crucial ones on Fiscal Responsibility, Banking Sector and labour reforms, are pending before Parliament.

Ahead of the winter session beginning next Monday, Jaswant Singh had written a letter to senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh early this month for better floor coordination in Parliament so as to enable passages of the pending economic bills, crucial for carrying forward reforms.

Manmohan Singh had replied to the finance minister suggesting that the government convene an all-party meeting to evolve consensus on financial issues.

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