Mamata: In the loop

New Delhi, July 11: Pranab Mukherjee’s budget quoted Kautilya, now the Prime Minister’s composition of key cabinet panels carries shades of Vedic-era diplomatic principles that might help the Congress manage potentially troublesome allies like Mamata Banerjee.

The Trinamul Congress chief and other UPA allies like Sharad Pawar (NCP), Farooq Abdullah (National Conference) and A. Raja (DMK) were today declared members of a cabinet committee on infrastructure headed by Manmohan Singh.

The panel will have the stated responsibility of scrutinising all infrastructure project proposals costing over Rs 150 crore before their launch.

Mamata would probably have made it to the panel in any case as she heads the railways — one of the key infrastructure builders — but not all the other members of the panel. Sources said the objective had been to make the committee as broadbased as possible.

Such a wide representation could help the Congress iron out — behind closed doors — allies’ differences that may arise in infrastructure.

Mamata has also been included in the cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs and the cabinet committee on economic affairs. She is set to find a place in the political affairs panel, too.

“It could represent the saam and daan components of the Congress strategy,” a Trinamul leader said.

Pacifying, or saam, and gifting, daan, are two pillars of a four-cornered strategy to win political and military battles outlined in the Bhagvata Purana based on the life of Krishna.

Trinamul and the DMK — both part of the UPA — have already publicly distanced themselves in Parliament from the government’s position on divestment. Mamata has also openly criticised the Centre’s decision to send paramilitary forces to aid Bengal security forces in Lalgarh.

Both Trinamul and the DMK have also criticised the government’s move to hike fuel prices, revealing stark differences on economic matters between the Congress and these key allies.

Trinamul, which rode to electoral success on the back of its opposition to land acquisition for industrial projects, is likely to have concerns over any future central infrastructure projects involving the takeover of farmland. Some allies have been urging the Congress to set up a co-ordination committee.

“It is good for us because now we will have more opportunities to raise concerns over any infrastructure project we feel will hurt the people,” a Trinamul leader said.

Including allies like Mamata in the panels will also allow the Congress to claim that it is consulting them before major decisions are taken.

Cabinet ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Jaipal Reddy, Kamal Nath, C.P. Joshi, Kumari Selja, G.K. Vasan and Pawan Bansal are also members of the cabinet committee on infrastructure.

Deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, minister of state in the Prime Minister’s office Prithviraj Chavan and civil aviation minister Praful Patel will be special invitees.