Banking bill likely to be deferred

The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2005 is unlikely to see the light of the day in the current session of Parliament with the Left parties refusing to yield any ground on the issue.

The UPA allies have also taken a strident stance on the modernisation of Kolkata airport through privatisation route.

Top Left sources said there is no chance of any flexibility on their part on the Banking Bill, which now looks set to be deferred.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) on Friday poured cold water on the civil aviation ministry's hope that the Left parties could come around to accept the modernisation of Kolkata and Chennai airports through privatisation.

"We are not against modernisation of airports. But the route to modernisation is not through privatisation. As for the modernisation of Kolkata airport, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has already drawn out a plan and we want the government to implement it," Yechury asserted in a press briefing today.

Yechury refuted the 'mischievous reports' about the West Bengal CM writing to the Centre and asking him to modernise Kolkata airport on the lines of Delhi and Mumbai airports.