New Delhi: The Government on Monday rejected a demand from its Left allies to cut the prices of petroleum products following their reduction in international markets.
The demand was made at a meeting of the coordination committee of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition and the Left parties that support it from outside.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presided over the meeting, held at his 7 Race Course Road official residence.
"At this juncture, any reduction in domestic prices of petrol or diesel is premature," a note circulated at the meeting said.
"Generation of adequate internal resources is important in sustaining investment and enhancing energy security," the note added.
The Government also said the fall in international prices "is not here to stay" but is temporary.
The Government, meanwhile, agreed to introduce the Women's Reservation Bill and another conferring forest rights on tribals during parliament's winter session beginning Nov 22, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A B Bardhan said after the meeting.
The meeting also discussed the Pension Bill and the government's policy on special economic zones (SEZ) - two issues on which the Left parties have serious reservations.
Bardhan said the government had promised to put the Left views before the group of ministers constituted over the SEZ policy.
"The differences over the Pension Bill continue and both parties could not reach a consensus," he maintained.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee (a paper circulated at the meeting described him as the defence minister), Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechuri, Forward Bloc leader Debabrata Biswas and Abani Roy of the Republican Socialist Party were among those who attended the meeting.
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