Panel soon for changing economic laws

The government on Saturday decided to set up a standing committee of officials and industry representatives to suggest changes in laws related to factory inspection and regulation on the lines of international best practices.

The committee will also monitor the implementation of infrastructure projects on a continuous basis.

At a three-hour meeting of Prime Minister''s Council on Trade and Industry here, the contentious issue of reservation in private sector also came up.

The Prime Minister asked the industry to work towards affirmative action in their companies otherwise the government would have to find ways to fulfill its responsibility, personal secretary to the Prime Minister, T K A Nair said after the meeting.

The meeting focussed on improvement of basic infrastructure like power, telecom and airport, Nair said.

There was a wide-ranging discussion on making domestic infrastructure of world-class quality. The industrialists suggested to the government that there should be greater incentive for construction of roads with larger time period for the industrialists to collect toll and developing the six metros as gateways of India with focussed attention.

“The meeting was very interactive. The general atmosphere was that we should be fair to all sections of the society,� Infosys Chairman N R Narayana Murthy said.

The meeting also focussed on skill upgradation and it was decided that the corporates would take interest in reviving a number of ITIs, he said.