"The neo liberal policies of UPA II government is adding more burden to the common man in the country" said Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, CPIM Jammu Kashmir State Secretary at a protest rally in Jammu organised by different trade unions as part of All India Strike on Tuesday against unprecedented price rise and rampant violation of labour laws. The rally started from Press Club and culminated at Indira Chowk. Protesters were holding banners, placards and raising slogans against the repressive economic policies implemented by the State and Central Governments.
M.Y Tarigami said that the prices of the essential commodities like food items have raisen disproportionately putting common man, working class and low-income group to grave hardships. “Neo-liberal economic policies implemented by the successive Central Governments since 90’s have created havoc for the vast sections of our population and the net result of these policies is sheer accumulation of wealth in few hands thereby denying any viable and sustainable sources of livelihood for common man”, he asserted. He said that tall claims of ‘India Shining’ and the cry of ‘GDP Growth’ cannot hide this reality that majority of our population still remains unnourished. He emphasised for implementation of Universalisation of Public Distribution System (PDS) instead of existing targeted PDS which denies availability of ration items to majority of our population. Government should provide ration items (rice/wheat) at Rs.2 per Kg. to consumers, he demanded.
Tarigami criticised the proposed Food Security Legislation in its present form which proposes 25 Kgs of food grains (rice/wheat) to BPL and Antodaya card holders i.e. a cut of 10 Kgs from existing 35 Kgs per family at Rs.3 per Kg. Under this proposed legislation not only APL subsidy is eliminated but even APL category will be cancelled and no food grains will be allocated under APL category and the net result will be withdrawing Rs.4,000 crore of food subsidy when the demand has been for more subsidy on food items. He reiterated his demand that buffer food stocks be purchased and made available to the common man especially rural and urban poor by minimising unnecessary expenditure.
“Ever-increasing army of unemployed persons is an area of serious concern for all of us and government should evolve some concrete mechanism to provide meaningful employment avenues to the youth whose number is estimated to have swallowed over five lakh”, Tarigami asserted. “Recently Prime Minister had announced formation of a committee under Dr. C Rangarajan, former Governor RBI, to explore and suggest measures for creating job avenues for the unemployed youth of the State which is not sufficient. What is required is immediate initiation of some concrete measures to create confidence among the youth of the State?” Tarigami said. Tarigami reiterated that ASHA workers in-spite of playing a very significant role in providing basic health services to the poor sections of the society particularly people belonging to far flung, neglected and backward areas, their condition is pathetic, pitiable and miserable in absence of minimum monthly wages and demanded that they may be provided monthly wages regularly.
He appealed to leaders of trade unions and mass organisations to come together to fight these repressive and anti-working class economic policies of the State and Central Governments. General Secretary CITU Comrades Om Prakash, State Treasurer CITU Sham Prasad Kesar, President INTUC Shiv Kumar Sharma, General Secretary INTUC Raghubir Singh, President AITUC Comrade N. K Dogra, Vice President AITUC Balkar Singh, President NZGIEU Daleep Kaul, General Secretary NZEIA Pawan Gupta and Joint Secretary NZEIA Ramesh Chander also addressed the rally. They exhorted to fight unitedly for reversal of neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the UPA Government.
(courtesy : statetimes)
M.Y Tarigami said that the prices of the essential commodities like food items have raisen disproportionately putting common man, working class and low-income group to grave hardships. “Neo-liberal economic policies implemented by the successive Central Governments since 90’s have created havoc for the vast sections of our population and the net result of these policies is sheer accumulation of wealth in few hands thereby denying any viable and sustainable sources of livelihood for common man”, he asserted. He said that tall claims of ‘India Shining’ and the cry of ‘GDP Growth’ cannot hide this reality that majority of our population still remains unnourished. He emphasised for implementation of Universalisation of Public Distribution System (PDS) instead of existing targeted PDS which denies availability of ration items to majority of our population. Government should provide ration items (rice/wheat) at Rs.2 per Kg. to consumers, he demanded.
Tarigami criticised the proposed Food Security Legislation in its present form which proposes 25 Kgs of food grains (rice/wheat) to BPL and Antodaya card holders i.e. a cut of 10 Kgs from existing 35 Kgs per family at Rs.3 per Kg. Under this proposed legislation not only APL subsidy is eliminated but even APL category will be cancelled and no food grains will be allocated under APL category and the net result will be withdrawing Rs.4,000 crore of food subsidy when the demand has been for more subsidy on food items. He reiterated his demand that buffer food stocks be purchased and made available to the common man especially rural and urban poor by minimising unnecessary expenditure.
“Ever-increasing army of unemployed persons is an area of serious concern for all of us and government should evolve some concrete mechanism to provide meaningful employment avenues to the youth whose number is estimated to have swallowed over five lakh”, Tarigami asserted. “Recently Prime Minister had announced formation of a committee under Dr. C Rangarajan, former Governor RBI, to explore and suggest measures for creating job avenues for the unemployed youth of the State which is not sufficient. What is required is immediate initiation of some concrete measures to create confidence among the youth of the State?” Tarigami said. Tarigami reiterated that ASHA workers in-spite of playing a very significant role in providing basic health services to the poor sections of the society particularly people belonging to far flung, neglected and backward areas, their condition is pathetic, pitiable and miserable in absence of minimum monthly wages and demanded that they may be provided monthly wages regularly.
He appealed to leaders of trade unions and mass organisations to come together to fight these repressive and anti-working class economic policies of the State and Central Governments. General Secretary CITU Comrades Om Prakash, State Treasurer CITU Sham Prasad Kesar, President INTUC Shiv Kumar Sharma, General Secretary INTUC Raghubir Singh, President AITUC Comrade N. K Dogra, Vice President AITUC Balkar Singh, President NZGIEU Daleep Kaul, General Secretary NZEIA Pawan Gupta and Joint Secretary NZEIA Ramesh Chander also addressed the rally. They exhorted to fight unitedly for reversal of neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the UPA Government.
(courtesy : statetimes)
