THE COMMUNIST Party of India (Marxist) will launch a nationwide campaign between February 1 and February 8 to highlight five important issues concerning common man. Rallies, public meetings and demonstrations will be held in the State too as part of the campaign, said Dr M K Pandhe, politburo member of CPI-M on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Pandhe said the union and the state governments’ failure on most fronts forced the party to carry out campaign to highlight the issues and mount pressure on government to perform.
The February agitation will highlight five demands, including curb on price escalation, effective steps for farmers and rural poor in view of the deepening agriculture crisis, strengthening of the public distribution system, implementation of the rural employment guarantee scheme in 200 additional districts and presentation of Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament.
The politburo member said both central and state governments have failed to take effective steps to curb price escalation and kerosene black marketing is big issue in the state.
The party is strongly opposing the EPF Board decision to reduce the employee provident fund interest rate and to invest the pension amount of employees in the share market, he said. The funds are meant for social security of employees, the CPM has demanded rollback of these decisions.
He defended West Bengal Government stand land acquisition for industrialisation, saying that the government is paying adequate compensation and has charted out a policy whereby common man’s interest would be safeguarded. The WB has deferred setting up of the Special Economic Zone till public opinion is sought on the issue.
He defended West Bengal Government stand land acquisition for industrialisation, saying that the government is paying adequate compensation and has charted out a policy whereby common man’s interest would be safeguarded. The WB has deferred setting up of the Special Economic Zone till public opinion is sought on the issue.