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Caretaker PM Vajpayee may skip policy issues at CII meet

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will inaugurate the annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi on April 28. Unlike last year, he would be constrained not to make major policy announcements because he heads the government in a caretaker capacity.

It was at the CII AGM last April that Vajpayee had unfolded his 13-point economic agenda.

The two-day session beginning tomorrow will be rounded off by an address by Home Minister L K Advani.

The annual session of the chamber, where outgoing president Rajesh Shah will be replaced by industrialist Rahul Bajaj, comes at a time when the entire country is awaiting announcement of poll dates, just 13 months after the previous elections.

In fact, it was only late yesterday that the apex chamber could confirm Vajpayee's presence at the inaugural session. Even the confirmation from Advani and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha came around the same time.

The theme of this year's conference is ''Preparing for the Next Millennium''.

India is on the threshold of entering the second phase of the reform process. Sinha would be addressing a session titled ''Priorities for Economic Reforms''.

The session on ''For a Stable Government in India'', to be addressed by former president R Venkataraman, also assumes significance in the wake of the recent political developments and dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha.

In the session on ''Technology, Industry and the Nation'', presentations on opportunities for business in the field of technology will be addressed by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, secretary, Defence Research and Development Organisation, R V Shahi, chairman and managing director, BSES Limited and Sanjay Bhatnagar, managing director and country manager (India), Enron International, will address the session "Carbon Exchange -- Mega Opportunities for Finance, Business and Technology".

The issue of ''Corporate Governance'' will be addressed by N R Narayana Murthy, chairman and chief executive officer, Infosys Technologies.

As India prepares for fresh polls after the dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha, Dr M S Gill, chief election commissioner, would share his insight in the session ''Are We Ready for Elections?"

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh would talk on investments in the regions.

N N Khanna, special secretary, commerce ministry, and A V Ganeshan, former commerce secretary, will address the session on the World Trade Organisation issues before India.

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