06-12-2004, 02:27 AM
<b>World Bank no more Buddha's anathema</b>
Saugar Sengupta/ Kolkata
<b>Majboori ka naam dialectical materialism</b>. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> That seems to be the online mantra incorporated in the Marxist Government's Gita of performance. Suddenly, class enemies like Dunkel, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have ceased to be an anathema in the Left corridors of power with an upbeat lot of babus feeling free to chant at will the names of some world financial bodies that could soon be extended a red carpet welcome at the historic Writers Buildings. The reason: The cash-starved State desperately needs international funds to invigorate its sagging infrastructure, health and other services.
After years of drinking deep from the cup of old fogeyisms, the Marxist dispensation is on the way to effecting an abrupt turnaround by roping in the World Bank - once bandied as the bank of American colonialism - to bring round the State's ailing services. For instance: health, infrastructure and education. However, there would be no change in theory and policy in the Leftist rank as to how it visualised the colonial institution or how the Centre should conduct itself in the face of an IMF or World Bank economic onslaught. Both the State and the Centre should be careful about falling in the trap of these multinational institutions.
"We have to be selective in accepting their offers," said a top State CPIM leader refusing to be quoted. According to a top leader of the CITU, the CPIM's labour wing, "We never say the World Bank is untouchable. There is no harm in taking loans from it. But once again one has to exercise one's discretion."
The State had a few years ago spurned a World Bank offer to help liberally in the fields of infrastructure and basic health facilities on the grounds that it did not want to step into a debt trap and that the conditions put by the world agency smacked of neo-colonial attitude.
No more. Acute financial exigencies and all-round criticism about its failing infrastructural facilities seems to have led the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Government to adjust to the changing times, say experts. <b>"The good news is: The Government which has already accepted an offer of Rs 700 crore from the World Bank is likely to take another grant of Rs 1,200 from the British Department of International Development for rejuvenating its primary health care system," said Dr Prabhakar Chatterjee, State Director of Health.</b>
According to officials, "Negotiations are on with the world agency and if things move in the right direction then soon we could be getting loans and grants for sectors like health, education, urban development and panchayat."<b> Highly-placed sources said, a loan-cum-grant package of Rs 200 crore would soon be made available out of which around Rs 60-65 crore will come as grants. This will be utilised to improve the facilities at Government and private engineering institutions</b>.
Interestingly, the sudden change in the Government's attitude comes in the wake of long discussions being held between the World Bank and Government officials in which the latter managed to dissuade the financial institution from attaching conditions with the grants, sources said, adding, the Government has told World Bank officials that it would not be possible to close down the sick units or end placing deficit budgets.
<b>It is another matter, however, that the Government on its own accord decided to restructure a group of 18 (and then 60 more) anaemic industrial units. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> Interestingly as well, the process of privatisation and the World Bank grant were not linked. And even if the process of the World Bank grants and industrial restructuring coincide they are nothing more than coincidence, insiders feel</b>.
Saugar Sengupta/ Kolkata
<b>Majboori ka naam dialectical materialism</b>. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> That seems to be the online mantra incorporated in the Marxist Government's Gita of performance. Suddenly, class enemies like Dunkel, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have ceased to be an anathema in the Left corridors of power with an upbeat lot of babus feeling free to chant at will the names of some world financial bodies that could soon be extended a red carpet welcome at the historic Writers Buildings. The reason: The cash-starved State desperately needs international funds to invigorate its sagging infrastructure, health and other services.After years of drinking deep from the cup of old fogeyisms, the Marxist dispensation is on the way to effecting an abrupt turnaround by roping in the World Bank - once bandied as the bank of American colonialism - to bring round the State's ailing services. For instance: health, infrastructure and education. However, there would be no change in theory and policy in the Leftist rank as to how it visualised the colonial institution or how the Centre should conduct itself in the face of an IMF or World Bank economic onslaught. Both the State and the Centre should be careful about falling in the trap of these multinational institutions.
"We have to be selective in accepting their offers," said a top State CPIM leader refusing to be quoted. According to a top leader of the CITU, the CPIM's labour wing, "We never say the World Bank is untouchable. There is no harm in taking loans from it. But once again one has to exercise one's discretion."
The State had a few years ago spurned a World Bank offer to help liberally in the fields of infrastructure and basic health facilities on the grounds that it did not want to step into a debt trap and that the conditions put by the world agency smacked of neo-colonial attitude.
No more. Acute financial exigencies and all-round criticism about its failing infrastructural facilities seems to have led the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Government to adjust to the changing times, say experts. <b>"The good news is: The Government which has already accepted an offer of Rs 700 crore from the World Bank is likely to take another grant of Rs 1,200 from the British Department of International Development for rejuvenating its primary health care system," said Dr Prabhakar Chatterjee, State Director of Health.</b>
According to officials, "Negotiations are on with the world agency and if things move in the right direction then soon we could be getting loans and grants for sectors like health, education, urban development and panchayat."<b> Highly-placed sources said, a loan-cum-grant package of Rs 200 crore would soon be made available out of which around Rs 60-65 crore will come as grants. This will be utilised to improve the facilities at Government and private engineering institutions</b>.
Interestingly, the sudden change in the Government's attitude comes in the wake of long discussions being held between the World Bank and Government officials in which the latter managed to dissuade the financial institution from attaching conditions with the grants, sources said, adding, the Government has told World Bank officials that it would not be possible to close down the sick units or end placing deficit budgets.
<b>It is another matter, however, that the Government on its own accord decided to restructure a group of 18 (and then 60 more) anaemic industrial units. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> Interestingly as well, the process of privatisation and the World Bank grant were not linked. And even if the process of the World Bank grants and industrial restructuring coincide they are nothing more than coincidence, insiders feel</b>.