News Hour: FDI in retail clears Rajya Sabha hurdle as UPA wins vote

Clearing the final hurdle for implementation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, the upper house of the Parliament Rajya Sabha on Friday voted against the motion to withdraw it. While 123 MPs opposed the motion to withdraw FDI, 109 were in favour. 
With the Samajhwadi Party staging a walk-out, UPA II required less number of votes for defeating BJP's motion. Commenting on his party's move to abstain from voting Mulayam Singh Yadav said, "Farmers are in a fix when their produce is not sold. So we have to see this issue carefully." 
Samajwadi Party, which has nine members in the House, staged a walkout expressing dissatisfaction over Commerce Minister Anand Sharma's reply. 
The defeat of the motion moved by AIADMK member V Maitreyan in the Rajya Sabha came two days after the Lok Sabha voted out a similar motion, paving the way for entry of global supermarkets like Walmart into the country. 
The government's victory in Rajya Sabha, where UPA lacks a majority of its own, came with the help of 15-member BSP, which had walked out of the Lok Sabha during voting on the issue. UPA has 94 members in the Upper House which has an effective strength of 244. 
Sachin Tendulkar, nominated member who is playing test match in Kolkata, Murli Deora (Cong), who is unwell, and rebel BJD leader Pyari Mohan Mahapatra were absent. 
Earlier on Friday Anand Sharma attacked the perception of FDI in multi-brand retail reducing people of the country to 'sales boys & girls'. Sharma said that this sends a wrong message to those who earn a living from selling goods. 
"Fear is being created that small kirana stores will be badly hit by this policy," he stormed at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley. He even went on to question the vegetable wastage figure cited by Jaitley in the Parliament. 
"India is the only country that compulsorily introduced minimum 30% sourcing," said Sharma, while defending the case for allowing FDI. "If there is a policy it will be implemented," he added. 
Opposition NDA and estranged UPA ally Trinamool Congress criticised the decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail, saying government has surrendered to crony capitalism and feared that the policy will spell doom for farmers and small traders.

(source:economictimes.indiatimes.com)