Mamata for all-party meet on Coalgate, seeks time on aviation FDI

New Delhi: As Parliament remained stalled on Wednesday for the second successive day on coal blocks allocation issue, key UPA ally and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee suggested an all-party meeting to end the logjam.

Making the suggestion at the UPA Coordination Committee meeting held here this evening, sources said, she said the Lok Sabha Speaker should be requested to take the initiative to convene the all-party meeting.

Her remarks assumge significance in the backdrop of BJP's growing isolation in the opposition camp with NDA constituent Janata Dal (U), Left parties and BJD disfavouring continuous paralysis of parliamentary proceedings and advocating discussion on the CAG report on coal blocs allocation in the House.

TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee said she would consult her party men on FDI in aviation and get back to the PM.

According to the sources, Congress leaders at the meeting felt that BJP could make a big issue out of CAG reports on coal blocs allocation and first pull out of parliamentary committees before eventually resigning from Parliament in a bid to build up pressure for advancing Lok Sabha elections due in 2014.

In the event of BJP quitting Parliament, restraint should be exercised and vacant seats in the House should be filled by holding by-elections, argued the Congress leaders.

The ticklish issue of FDI in aviation sector came up at the UPA Coordination Committee meeting but a decision on it was put on hold as Mamata said she did not know that it would be discussed on Wednesday, said the sources.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said she would consult her party men on the subject and get back to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, they added.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram explained at the meeting the difficulties faced by the aviation sector and how they were affecting air passengers, said the sources.

The meeting also saw DMK pitching for India taking a strong stand on the issue of Tamils in Sri Lanka, claiming the plight of Tamils in that country was "not good", they said.

DMK also raised the issue of copra prices and said NAFED could make market intervention.

The party also wanted an increase in support price for paddy, to which Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said this could be examined when the support price is announced.

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