No Steps Taken By the Government to Save CITU leader in Orrisa : CPIM

CPIM today announced that protest demonstration in front of the K Balang police station area in Sundargarh district will continue condemning the killing of the CITU activist Thomas Munda by Maoists.
"He is not the first CPM or CITU activist in the state to be killed by the Maoists. Earlier, Maoists had killed Comrade Rabi Oram, another tribal leader who was the branch secretary of the party. Another party supporter was also killed last year, state secretary Janardan Pati said.CPM activist and zilla parishad member Anand Horo was kidnapped by the Maoists on January 22 and later released on condition that he will have to work for them or leave the area.The latest to be kidnapped and killed by them was CITU activist Thomas Munda. “Since villagers under the leadership of the CPI-M put up a resistance to the Maoists depredations in the area, the Maoists burnt two party offices and looted the houses of the villagers and attacked them, injuring five,” the he added

A delegation of CPM leaders led by Pati met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and requested him to take steps for the rescue of Munda. But no steps were initiated by the State Government for his rescue, he said, adding that there is no administration in the Maoist affected areas of the state.Pati alleged that common people in affected areas do not feel the presence of a government. More than 3000 people are sitting on dharna in front of the K Balang police station demanding adequate security, he said   

Bring down VAT on essential goods: CPI(M)

HYDERABAD: The State Committee of the CPI(M) has demanded that the government immediately withdraw orders enhancing the Value Added Tax rate on essential commodities and bring it on a par with that of neighbouring States.

Representation to CS

CPI(M) representatives, P.Madhu, MP, State committee members T.Sagar and P.V.Srinivas submitted a representation to the Chief Secretary S.V.Prasad here on Friday showing the high VAT rates prevailing in the State compared to other States.

People already burdened by the rising prices were severely impacted by the hike in VAT on food and other items. They demanded that essential commodities be totally exempted from VAT in the State.

Steep hike

Mr. Madhu later told presspersons that because of steep hike in VAT to 14.5 per cent, the prices of packed pulses, vegetables, tamarind, red chillis, branded bread were highest in the State, while in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra even packed commodities were charged only 4 per cent VAT. Similarly, vegetables, milk, meat, fish, fruits, oils, jaggery, salt were exempted from VAT in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra and so was the case with rice in West Bengal. But in AP, they were brought under four per cent slab. In Andhra Pradesh only 118 articles were under four per cent VAT category and the rest of the commodities used by a majority of people were placed under 14.5 per cent slab.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)