New Delhi: The crucial UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting on Wednesday evening agreed to bring up the Women's Reservation Bill giving one-third seats in Parliament and state assemblies in the coming winter session of Parliament in its original form.
The panel, which skipped the controversial Special Economic Zone (SEZ) issue, decided to take it up in a separate meeting.
''We spent a good deal of time on discussing this issue and came to the conclusion that the Women's Reservation Bill in its original form should be introduced in Parliament in the winter session,'' CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan told reporters after the three-hour meeting held at the 7 Race Course residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Dr Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Finance Minister P Chidambaram attended the meeting.
The UPA-Left panel also discussed food security and public distribution system, privatisation and financial sector liberalisation, Mr Bardhan said.
There was no press briefing by the Government after the meeting.
Bardhan, who reluctantly agreed to talk to the media, said the meeting was of the view that the delimitation exercise should continue simultaneously with introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill.
He said the Government had told the Left leaders that no privatisation process was taking place presently.
Even on disinvestment, the Government clarified it was doing nothing on the matter, he said adding there was no question of a relook into the issue.
Replying to a specific query on restricting Chinese companies in investing in India, he said the issue did not come up for discussion.
The CPI leader stressed that the Left parties continued to oppose second generation reforms in pension, banking and insurance sectors.
''We have told the Government about proper revival of private banks,'' he said.
However, the Left parties impressed upon the Government to discuss the issue of reforms in pension, banking and insurance sectors to the trade unions, he added.
The Government insists that it was not a labour issue alone. Another issue that received attention in the meeting was related to the agrarian crisis.
The Left leaders told the Government that there was a ''big shortcoming'' in the agricultural sector as it contributes only 25 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product.
''It is a big shortcoming. The Government should consider it as top priority and discuss it,'' he said.
The meeting also discussed the Rs 17,000 crore revival package for distressed farmers in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.
The Left parties also asked the Government to streamline the foodgrains procurement as last year it had hit hurdles leading to less collection of foodgrains from farmers.
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