By IANS,
Kolkata: The West Bengal assembly Thursday passed a resolution moved by the ruling Trinamool Congress opposing FDI and monopolistic indigenous capital in retail, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressing the hope that other state legislatures would follow suit, putting pressure on the central government.
The resolution tabled by state Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee was adopted by 155-17 votes, with the Congress members opposing it.
Opposition Left Front members walked out before Banerjee’s speech on the motion, protesting the government’s refusal to incorporate two amendments brought by the combine.
However, during his address, Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra of the Communist Party of India-Marxist said: “There is nothing to oppose the resolution.”
Banerjee said Trinamool was the first party to read the people’s mind on the issue. “We have woken up the people in the country.”
“Today our assembly is passing this resolution. We hope all other state assemblies will pass such motions. Then there will be discussions in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. And then we will request the centre to withdraw the anti-people decision.”
Days after her party quit the UPA protesting its decisions to allow FDI in multi-brand retail, hike diesel prices and restrict the supply of subsidised cooking gas cylinders, Banerjee said: “We cannot afford FDI in retail, it will spell doom for the middle class.”
Banerjee said 50 crore of people in India are dependent on the retail market for their livelihood. “We want to stand by these people, show solidarity with them. Whatever has been done is not right.”
She said even the US government has given instructions to international retail chain Walmart to procure 60 percent of products from the domestic market. “But in India, there was a restriction that they have to buy 30 percent of their products from the domestic market. Now that has also been done away with.”
Opposing the motion, Congress legislature party leader Mohmmad Sohrab said if FDI in retail was disallowed in the country, it would be a retrograde step. He said 40 percent of vegetables and fruits in West Bengal are wasted because of the poor infrastructure.