CITU General Council Meeting at Bellary

Resolution against Continuing Attacks on the People of West Bengal and in Solidarity to Struggles against such Attacks

 The General Council meeting of CITU being held on 11-14 July 2014 at Bellary, Karnataka expresses serious concern on the continuing phenomenon of severe attacks and intimidations  on our comrades and also con the common people  in West Bengal by the TMC led goons and antisocial elements since last 37 months since May 2011 and also in the run up to the election campaign and even after declaration of election results. During this period more than 157 Left and CITU activists were killed and the number is increasing every day.  Thousands were physically attacked and injured by the physical onslaught by the TMC goons with the police administration aiding and abetting such attacks and onslaughts. Even after declaration of election results on 16^th May 2014 such attacks and intimidation have been continuing in full steam and 12 comrades including two women were murdered. Several thousands are ousted from their areas of work and residence. More than 15000 comrades and activists have been implicated in false cases and many of them were even jailed for months together having been booked on non-bailable cases. Molestation and rape of woman by TMC hoodlums have become almost a frequent happenings in the state. Latest has been the brutal rape of one anganwadi worker by TMC miscreant at Nadia district on 7^th July 2014 and it is the same district where the TMC MP had given open threat to get women raped by his men a few days before such dastardly incident of rape.   The Police has been actively patronising such attacks shamelessly. After the declaration of election result, intensity of such attack has increased targeting the working people, both in towns and rural areas. Livelihood of the people are being attacked by way of ousting thousands of small farmers from their land;  evicting contract workers in thousands in several industries and replacing them with new set of workers with lower wages in connivance with the contractors; blockading functioning of numerous small cooperatives and self-help groups through terrorand violence; and even forcibly closing down small shops and similar small businesses through violence and extortions—all designed to maintain an atmosphere of terror and fear among the people at large and prevent any opposition to the reign of extortion and loot by the TMC goons with the active support of administration.  The main purpose behind such attack is to sustain an atmosphere of terror maiming all kinds of dissent and protest against such beastly misrule of the TMC Govt as well as the anti-social and anti-people activities of the miscreants under their shelter. And the basic aim is to marginalise and eliminate Left, it being the only potential opponent to the regime of loot and plunder under stewardship of thecorporates either through TMC in West Bengal or through BJP at the centre.

 The democratic right of holding meetings, rallies etc are being sought to be denied to the Left parties and even other trade unions and mass organisations. Also many non-political progressive organisations are being obstructed to have their activities involving mass of the public. Refusal of permission by the police administration to hold public meeting, even hall meetings and using mike throughout the state at the instigation of TMC has become almost a regular affair. Even labour department officials are being directed by the TMC Govt or their cohorts not to respond to the complaints or grievances raised by the trade unions and not even call conciliation meetings. Massive corruption, irregularities, nepotism, and anarchy in every segment of social life and governance being openly practiced by the TMC brigade is continuing and entire administration has been working overtime to ensure that nobody can raise their voice against such anarchy and hoodlumism. In fact total abrogation of all democratic rights of the people to collectively voice concerns and dissent had been the project of the ruling party in the state and that has gained momentum after the 16^th Lok Sabha election. 

CITU and other mass organization of the Left parties have been bravely combating such situation while carrying on their organized opposition and protest against such anarchic regime and denial of democratic rights to common people by the TMC regime and their virtually lumpen-led administration. Other trade unions like HMS, AICCTU and INTUC etc are also joining protest against such attacks and onslaught on democratic rights.

The General Council meeting of CITU, while condemning such lumpen-raj in West Bengal, expresses full support and solidarity with the struggle by CITU, other mass organizations and the Left parties and  demands upon the state Govt in West Bengal to put a stop attack and onslaught on the Left parties, trade unions and mass organizations forthwith. CITU calls upon working people and trade unions all over the country to organize solidarity action and campaign against the ongoing brutalities by the fascistic lumpen-led TMC regime on the democratic people of West Bengal.   

Resolution on Union Budget 2014-15

The General Council meeting of CITU being held on 11-14 July 2014 at Bellary, Karnataka denounces the anti-people Budget (2014-15) of the Narendra Modi Government. The Union Budget (2014-15) is an exercise in piloting large scale FDI-PPP mode in the financial and policy governance of the country under BJP rule. It followed the same policy trajectory deregulation, privatization and corporate-orientation so long followed by its predecessor the UPA Govt which has been rejected by the people in election. And pursuit of these policies by UPA has landed the national economy in gloom with dwindling growth rate, continuing inflationary spiral and aggravating unemployment.  The Budget has set in motion the process of betrayal of the promise for “so called good days” made by Modi in his election campaign. The Finance Minister has said in his Budget speech, “ these are only the first steps and are directional.”

The Finance Minister, just three days before the presentation of his Budget spoke in Rajya Sabha on 7^th July 2014 while replying to debate on “price rise” that any exercise in containing fiscal deficit through cutting down expenditure will lead to contraction of the economy in a situation of already dwindling growth rate of sub-5 per cent. He repeated the same statement orally in Lok Sabha while presenting the Budget. But while making high sounded commitment and promises for all round growth in his budget speech, in actual budgetary exercise, the Finance Minister meticulously practiced the same route of drastically cutting down central plan outlay on almost all heads impacting common people like Agriculture, rural development, Transport, General Economic Services and Social Services etc. The Ministries of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Human Resource Development and the Department of School Education and Literacy in particular and Women & Child Development also faced a drastic cut in allocation of funds. The share of SCs and STs in plan expenditure is kept far below (by Rs 47000 crore) the stipulation of planning commission guidelines based on proportion of population. Therefore, the first budget of the Modi Govt took off engineering a deceit on the people.

On the other hand, the Budget has launched onslaught against various flagship welfare schemes. MGNREGA is going to be immediate target of attack due to the policy pronouncement in the Budget that State Governments will have to spend two-third of the revenue transferred in ‘capital asset creation.’ Also a move is afoot to turn the right based employment guarantee legislation into just a welfare scheme with no guarantee in employment.

While engineering a drastic cut in expenditure on almost all heads impacting common people aimed at containing fiscal deficit, the budget remained reluctant in taking any action in arresting organized pilferage from public exchequer in the form of deliberate tax default by big corporate houses which reached a huge sum of Rs 4.18 lakh crore on account of corporate tax and income tax by the end of 2012-13 of which Rs 72901 crore is not under dispute. Rather the measures envisaged in the budgetary proposal to avoid dispute and litigation on tax claim are basically designed the defaulters a long hand to legitimize the default and pilferage from the public exchequer.

Added to this is the decision to constitute the Expenditure Management Commission to look into basically the subsidies for common people aiming at further deduction in the same. The Budget has already proposed a cut in subsidy on petroleum to the tune of Rs 22054 crore which would have a cascading effect on prices of all goods. And such cascading effect on prices of goods and services is going to be perpetual as the Budget announces total decontrol of diesel pricing before the end of current financial year.

Simultaneously, the budget reduced the direct tax leading to a revenue loss of Rs 22200 crore while increasing the indirect tax burden to the tune of Rs 7525 crore. And the manner the budgetary proposal extended liberalized concessions/reduction of customs and import duty on various heads, the additional revenue of Rs 7525 crore in indirect tax means a larger revenue on account of tax on domestic consumption goods to be borne by common people already reeling under continuing price-rise and mounting burden of unemployment and joblosses.  

The Budget has announced raising of FDI cap in defence and insurance sector from existing 26% to 49% musct to the detriment of the interests of national economy. The target for revenue from PSU divestment has been set at a huge amount of Rs.63,000 crore and the Finance Minister has announced that instead of earning dividend from PSUs they prefer divestment of Government equity in the PSUs. Number of measures have been incorporated in the Budget to actually weaken the public sector banks making them easy prey of privatization policy of the Government.

Budget while sounding high on promoting investment for boosting manufacturing sector, practically relied on good intention of the private investors through more liberal incentives and tax concessions. In an atmosphere of shrinking market and declining purchasing power of the people owing price-rise and industrial sickness, incentives and tax concessions cannot boost employment generating investment except causing revenue losses. Rather the measures announced in the budget for liberalization of tax regime on portfolio investment, transfer-pricing and mutual fund and steps envisaged for energizing capital market etc would attract flow of investment more towards speculative market than employment generating productive investment. That will definitely make the corporates and big business, both domestic and foreign, happier while common people will be left high and dry. 

In respect of almost all development expenditure including various infrastructural projects, the Budget relied more on PPP and FDI despite dismal performance and non-materialisation  of PPP during the previous regime. Rather, the Budget indicated further concessions/incentive to private players in the name of reducing rigidities and taking a more liberal approach.

On the whole, the first budget of the NDA Govt has basically turned out to be grossly anti-people in character promoting more aggressive loot by the corporate and big-business houses on the mass of the people. The General Council of CITU condemns such anti-people Budget and calls upon the working people and trade union movement to build united opposition to the said anti-people budget and related policies of deregulation, privatization for promoting corporate loot on the people.            

Resolution on Allocation under scheduled Castes Sub Plan

This meeting of the General Council of CITU being held in Bellary on 11 – 14 July 2014 strongly condemns the decline in the allocation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) in the Union Budget placed by the Finance Minister in the Parliament.

The SCSP, one of the most important budgetary issues for Dalits was initiated 35 years ago, became necessary as the SCs were continuously denied their adequate share of government funds essential to meet their needs and improve their conditions. It mandates setting aside a proportion of the total Plan outlay of the Centre and state governments equivalent to the proportion of the SCs at the national and state levels, exclusively for their development. According to the Census 2011, SC population comprises 16.6% of the total population.

However, the total plan allocation in this Budget has declined in real terms by around 4%. Moreover the total share of SCs and STs in the total plan expenditure is falling short by Rs 47000 crores and Rs 14000 crores according to the Planning Commission guidelines based on the proportion of the population. It is also a matter of serious concern that what is being allocated is also not being spent. While Rs 41561.13 crores was allocated for SCSP in the Budget 2013 – 14, according to the Revised Estimates only Rs 35800.6 crores have been spent. There have been several instances of SCSP funds being diverted to entirely different uses like construction of flyovers, Commonwealth Games etc. The Twelfth Five Year Plan document itself had to admit that ‘The expenditure in many states/ UTs was not even 50% of the allocated funds. No proper budget heads/ sub heads were created to prevent diversion of funds. There was no controlling and monitoring mechanisms’

In order to ensure effective implementation of the SCSP, there is an urgent need to enact a national legislation to provide statutory backing to the provisions of the SCSP.

This General Council meeting demands that the government of India should

• Enact a legislation providing statutory status to SCSP in this Budget session itself
• The government should allocate 16.6% of Plan Outlays for the SCSP
• Take effective measures to ensure that the funds are spent for the development of Dalits and are not diverted for other purposes and also that the funds are spent in time and are not allowed to lapse. 

Resolution on Israeli aggression on Palestine

The meeting of the General Council of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) at Bellary from 11^th to 14^th July expresses its anger and protest against the Israeli attack on Gaza. For more than one week Gaza is being bombarded by the Israeli armed forces killing more than 165 people including many children. The attacks are being targeted on the residential areas. Latest reports say that Israeli armed forces have begun invasion at ground level also and thousands are forced to flee. The whole region is under threat of escalation of war.

CITU condemns these attacks, which are in contravention of international lands. In the back ground of happenings in the middle-east region, these Zionist attacks by the closest ally of US imperialists will aggravate the situation.

The CITU demands the Govt. of India to condemn Israeli aggression on Palestine and take necessary steps to bring international pressure on aggressors.  CITU expresses solidarity with the people of Palestine and calls upon its affiliates and democratic movements to protest against the Zionist aggression.

Left parties protest across Tamilnadu against the anti people policies of NDA Government

The CPI, and the CPI(M) on Monday staged a demonstrations across TamilNadu in protest against the Annual Budget, and Railway Budget.

Though the Union budget directly hit the common man, the statements from major Dravidian parties welcoming the budget had come as a shock, said Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan said while inaugurating a demonstration held as part of State-wide agitation against the budget, he said the rail fare increase of 14 per cent was announced even before the railway budget. The government did not stop with that. In the general budget, the Finance Minister had chosen to encourage more FDI participation in key areas like defence. Similarly, the move to privatise banks and insurance sector was bound to affect the masses in the long run. The BJP had promised to introduce people-friendly measures during electioneering, but such a ‘U’ turn had only exposed its true face and colour.

When political parties like the CPI (M) had opposed it tooth and nail, the AIADMK, DMK, MDMK, PMK and the DMDK had hailed the budget. This had raised doubts over their commitment to common man, Mr. Ramakrishnan said, and charged that the BJP was simply following the Congress. Later, in a brief interaction with reporters, he demanded a CBI probe into Chennai Moulivakkam building collapse in which 61 lives were lost. Only a Central agency’s investigation would unravel the nexus among officials, politicians and builders, he added.

In Coimbatore P.R. Natarajan,while inaugurating the dharna said that the budget reflected the anti-poor, pro-rich approach of the Union Government.The government had twice raised the fuel prices, and had increased the train fare too. There would be a cascading effect on various commodities, and lead to inflation. The government had announced waiver of loans given to corporate companies. It had announced foreign direct investment in a number of sectors, which was against national interests, Mr. Natarajan said.

He said the DMK, and the AIADMK welcomed the budgets for other reasons and not based on merit. Leaders of both the parties were at the mercy of the Union Government for various reasons, he added.

In Udhagamandalam, a demonstration was held at the Independence Square on Monday. The CPI(M) district secretary, R. Badri, and the CPI district secretary, A. Bellie led the demonstrators.

The Communist Party of Israel strongly condemns Israeli aggression in Gaza and rejects any attack on civilians

The Communist Party of Israel (CPI) expresses its strong resentment and condemnation to the vicious and murderous terrorist war that the government of Israel has been waging on the people of Gaza and on the Arab-Palestinian People at large in the last few days. Similarly, the CPI clearly and unequivocally rebukes the bombarding of Israeli civilians by Hamas and other organizations in Gaza Strip. In our view, such attacks are not only reprehensible but also counterproductive to the Palestinian cause itself, namely its just and legitimate aspiration to establish an independent state alongside the state of Israel, whose capital is East Jerusalem, on the borders of June 4^th, 1967.

Despite our denunciation of any assault on population, the CPI emphasizes that the responsible for the current escalation and bloodshed is the government of Israel – its continuous rejection of any prospect for just peace, the massive killings and destruction it inflicts on Gaza, its total indifference for Palestinian life and wellbeing, and, above all, its everlasting deepening of Israeli occupation and colonization of the West Bank and East Jerusalem together with the inhuman blockade of Gaza.

As the CPI warned already a month ago, the real motivation of Netanyahu’s administration was never to achieve security for the people of Israel but solely to obstruct the Palestinian unity government and absolve itself from responsibility for the failure of the peace negotiations. We should now add that the present assault on Gaza also serves the Israeli government in yet another two ways: (1) it reconsolidates Netanyahu’s coalition in times of domestic unrest, hence helps Netanyahu in keeping his criminal government intact, and (2) it puts all questions of poverty, inequality, racism, sexism, and discrimination off the table, and marginalizes all struggles for social justice and democracy.

Everybody knows now that Netanyahu and his co-bullies in the government and the military were aware that the three young settlers were murdered on the very first day they were kidnapped. What was the cause of Israeli invasion and mass arrests in the West Bank if not to set the whole region in fire and promote the said goals?

The CPI reaffirms its last message and reemphasizes that the larger and most dangerous terrorism is the Israeli Occupation and all of its consequences and accompanying war crimes, including the separation wall, the siege and the colonial Settlements complex. History teaches us that every occupation begets the resistance of the occupied people. The international law guarantees the occupied people the right to resist the occupation by using legitimate means in its rightful struggle. The CPI reemphasizes its principled position against attacking civilians, and especially minors.

The CPI calls on progressive movements, human rights organizations, and all states worldwide, to organize events in solidarity with the Palestinian people, calling on the Israeli government to immediately cease the aggression against Gaza Strip and to halt its war crimes, and on Israeli government and Palestinian organizations alike to refrain from any attack on civilians.

No to War Crimes! No to Attack on Civilians! Lift Gaza Blockade! Down with the Occupation!

Leaders Pledge to Foster Left Unity while Commemorating Birth Centenary of Communist Legend Jyoti Basu

In this present prevailing condition when rightists groups are clamouring to carry forward the interest of corporates, only the Leftists are an alternative who can fight to establish the wellbeing of the poor toiling down trodden classes. To ensure the security and safety of the working class the leftists have to foster unity for which Jyoti Basu had devoted his life. This was the essence of the speech delivered on the occasion of the birth centenary celebration of the undaunted communist leader Jyoti Basu. Jyoti Basu Birth Centenary Celebration Committee had organized this solemn gathering on Tuesday, the 8th of July, 2014 at Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata. The occasion was enriched with the deliberations of eminent personalities from different spheres. Noted among them were political leaders Biman Basu, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, veteran leader Ashok Ghosh, Manju Kumar Mazumder, Kshiti Goswami, Ajizul Haque, eminent economist Prabhat Pattanaik, Ashok Mitra, former Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Hasim Abdul Halim.

Left Front Chairman Biman Basu recollected in details how Jyoti Basu in spite of being brought up in an affluent family sacrificed his life and chose the thorny path to organize the working class and oppressed people. Had never craved for earthly belongings and had craved all through his life for the upliftment of the masses specially those who were subjected to the tyranny of the dominant classes. Nothing could deter him from the path of a worthy deserving communist and had always adhered to the dictates of the party as a true soldier. One has lots to learn from his life specially the young generation who are unaware of the times when leaders like Jyoti Basu held the banner in their hands to foster the Left Unity to give a worthy leadership in every critical political situation in India. He believed that implementation of true democracy could only bring respite to the poor working classes. For this to ensure empowerment at the grass root level he was the first to establish the three-tier panchayat system.

Biman Basu in this context stated that 'discipline is the very political aspect which Jyoti Basu walked through in his life. As a matter of fact it is a lesson for all of us how he restrained himself from any unwanted comment that could destabilise his party or the Left unity. One should pay true homage to such a leader of immense personality by pledging to carry the baton of left unity forward for which he had craved all his life. Biman Basu also mentioned the names of Snehangshu Acharya and Bhupesh Gupta – close associates of Jyoti Basu whose birth centenary are also in the offing.

Prabhat Pattanaik quantified Jyoti Basu as a man of varied qualities who always delivered himself to be a true communist. He was undoubtedly the most popular leader of this century. He said it is a matter of fact to reckon how not being a son of a farmer or not belonging to the village he could analyse their sufferings and proved himself to be a worthy leader to raise to such height of popularity. Trust was the very basis of the immense popularity. There was no delicacy in his behaviour. He cast a warning about the gospel of neoliberalism under whose ageist is on the rise the phenomenon of lumpen proletariats who are creating rackets endangering the essence of life. He spoke about the rise of fascist forces that are a threat to this country and emphasized the need for a Left consistent force who can only offer an alternative.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee spoke on the qualities of Jyoti Basu that made him an universal leader. He could culminate the struggle for existence of the farmers and the peasants amidst parliamentarian democracy. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee stressed the need to unite the left and the secular forces otherwise it shall be difficult for the party to leap forward.

CPIM PB on Union Budget

The debut budget of the BJP government expresses deep commitment to continue the trajectory of reforms of benefiting foreign and domestic capital by emphasizing on larger FDI flows and enlarged avenues for PPP projects. Fiscal consolidation is sought to be effected through contraction of public expenditures and not by increasing revenues through taxing the rich. Thus it is a recipe for further enriching the rich and impoverishing the poor.  

Given the backdrop of slow recovery in the global economy the budget was supposed to reflect initiatives that gear up domestic demand through planned investment on the one hand and check food inflation to increase purchasing power of the majority working people. The advanced estimates for the last quarter of 2013-14 released by Central Statistical Organisation reflects a bleak picture of overall growth rate (at constant 2004-05 prices) of 4.6 % and negative growth in manufacturing as well as in mining and quarrying and a massive decline in growth of construction and trade, hotel and restaurant sector. Despite the fact that there has been considerable decline in the ratio of investment to GDP since 2010-11 both in the public and private sectors this budget with its overriding concern to keep fiscal deficit in check and keeping revenue expenditure to GDP ratio more or less same has failed to address the required increase in total plan expenditure in real terms. Total of budgetary support for central plan and central assistance to states and UT declined in real terms comparing budget estimates. The figures on central assistance for state and UTs although increased but the states are left with very little authority to decide on central schemes and that goes against the federal structure of the country. The budget proposal heavily relies on public private partnership and FDI to gear up investment which is hardly going to happen going by past experience.

The budget proposes to reduce direct tax incurring a revenue loss of Rs. 22,200 crores while increases indirect taxes by Rs. 7525 crores which would obviously have regressive impact on the common people. The revenue generation proposed in the budget is high on expectations since there is no significant increase in tax rates and the revised estimates in revenues for the last two years fell short of the budget estimates which eventually prompted further cut in expenditures. The government depends on disinvestment tuned to Rs. 43425 crores which is higher than last year’s budgeted figure but the actual figures last year was much less than what was estimated.

The budget proposes drastic cut in central plan outlay in agriculture and allied sectors, rural development and social services and women and child development. There is no increase in allocation in MGNREGA, Indira Awas Yojna rather in real terms it has declined. The total plan allocation also declined in real terms roughly by 4 %. Moreover the share of SCs and STs in total plan expenditure is falling short by Rs. 47000 crores and Rs. 14000 crores according to planning commission guidelines based on proportion of population.

The budget also proposes a decline in subsidies to petroleum by Rs. 22054 crores which would impose more burdens on the people and further increase the inflationary pressure. Moreover the budget has no concrete proposal to check the double digit food inflation especially when there is a possibility of mounting pressure on food prices given the projections of bad monsoon.

The budget also fails to propose measures to increase employment growth through revamping manufacturing growth. Investments are low and there is no attempt to raise domestic demand rather the budget essentially relies on incentives to private investment through investment linked deductions that grossly failed to raise investment in the earlier years. Moreover the government announces to raise the cap of foreign investment in insurance, defence and real estate that the earlier government could not implement because of stiff opposition.

 

Therefore the budget essentially fails to chart a trajectory to increase growth and investment, create employment and check inflation that was needed in the current scenario. It is a budget relying more on privatisation and foreign investment and short on innovative ideas to increase revenue. The budget is grossly regressive and anti-people and would increase the burden on the common people

RAILWAY BUDGET 2014-15: A ROADMAP FOR PRIVATISATION : CITU

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions(CITU) expressed serious concern at the BJP Govt’s first Railway Budget, 2014-15 which declares its dependence on so called public private partnership, private investment including FDI for funding its infrastructural and capacity augmentation projects. It reflects nothing but continuity of the same pro-corporate policy of the much discredited Congress Regime, rather in more aggressive form. 

Just weeks before the Railway Budget, steep hike in passenger fares and freight charges to the tune of 14.2% and 6.5 % respectively exposed the brazen undemocratic as well as anti-people modus operandi of the BJP Govt. Added to this is the budgetary announcement of linking the future prices of travel with fuel adjustment factor which will result in virtual deregulation of railway fares providing for automatic increase in railway fares with the increase in price of fuel. This is nothing but an arrangement for perpetual increase of burden on common people.

Further, the thrust on PPP, FDI and outsourcing in various segments of railway operation and services as outlined in the current Railway Budget, is going to make the situation worse. Despite abject failure of the same exercise on depending on PPP route for infrastructural expansion and services during the UPA regime as reflected in plan expenditure in 2013-14 falling short by a whopping “Rs 59,359 crore from the target due to non-materialisation of PPP targets”, the Modi Govt also preferred to stick to the same provenly failed route. This means, either the expansion work will suffer or the private investors’ lobby will extract more undue concessions from the Govt in the process of their response, finally increasing the burden on the common people. Precisely, that had been the past experience of all PPP projects in sea-ports, airports, roads etc during the UPA’s tenure which increased the burden on the consumers and the people in a big way. 

Despite admitting in the budget the abject failure of the Railways to implement the declared and sanctioned projects even to an insignificant extent, resulting in huge accumulation of unfulfilled projects announced in successive budgets, the current Budget failed to present any concrete roadmap for their execution except giving sound bites on prioritization, time frame etc. Even the new announcements made in the current budget do not have appropriate budgetary back-up, rendering them to be deceptive in real sense.

The Budget sounded high on Govt’s commitment to safety, but kept absolute silence about filling up around 3 lakh vacancies in the Railways, majority of which are related to management and maintenance of safety standards in railway operation.  

CITU records its condemnation to this anti-people and privatization oriented Railway Budget and calls upon the working people to voice their protest against such retrograde exercise of the Modi Govt.

Railway Budget: More Burdens on People

The first railway budget of this BJP-led NDA government is a cosmetic exercise, high on rhetoric and low in substance.  The emphasis had been in high-sounding bullet trains and commercial freight corridors with no budgetary calculations to back up.  The entire emphasis is to attract FDI and to undertake all further expansion and modernization through the ignominious PPP route. 
The sub-text of the budget is designed to impose greater burdens on the common people  who need the railways the most and who use it the most.  Apart from the pre-budget hikes, which bring in a revenue of Rs. 8,000 crores, this budget has linked the future prices for travel with the fuel adjustment factor.  This means that with every increase in the price of fuel, the cost of travel will automatically go up.  Therefore, there will be a continuous increasing burden on the people. 
Further, experience of FDI and PPP in other infrastructure sectors like airports and seaports has shown how the costs to the consumer have grown exponentially.  This is now bound to happen with the railways imposing further burdens on the people. Even these calculations of PPP are completely unrealistic as the budget itself informs that the last year’s target of Rs. 6,000 crore through the PPP route has not been realised.  The budget, therefore, is a blueprint for the privatization of Indian railways at the cost of the Indian people who will bear the brunt of the profit maximization by the private sector and  FDI. 
As a result, the social responsibility  of the Indian Railways, of catering to the common people and making backward areas accessible is being given the go-by. 

Far from addressing the question of improving the health of the Indian Railways, the budget has shown that the operating ratio is now 95 per cent, i.e., 95 out of every 100 rupees earned is being spent.  This has come down by 2.7 per cent from an earlier operating ratio of around 90 per cent. In spite of this, the Railway Minister has announced that the market borrowing will be lower despite the target of internal resource generation being short by over Rs. 2,000 crores.  

Though the Railway Minister mentioned that of the 99 new projects sanctioned during the last decade, only one has been completed, he failed to inform any roadmap for many of the important new projects that were designed to perform the most important role of the Indian Railways in discharging its social responsibility towards the country and the people.   Clearly, the future expansion of the railways has been halted. 
Though there has been a lot of talk on improving the safety standards, nothing substantial has been suggested.  Further, there is  no indication that the close to 3 lakh vacant posts, mainly concerning the maintenance of safety standards, will be filled.  
In sum, it is clear that this government is relying entirely on attracting FDI in the railways and large-scale privatization rather than discharging the government’s responsibility towards improving the health of the Indian Railways so vital to our economy and the people.    The net result would be increasing burdens on the people and the unfortunate further lowering of the safety standards.

A Tribute to Comrade Jyoti Basu on his Birth Centenary

Jyoti Basu  the doyen of Indian Communist movement  was today remembered in his state  of West Bengal with elan The Central Programme   which was organized at Najrul Mancha  in Kolkata saw over pouring of emotions from the mass who gathered there despite  inclement weather .  Noted Economist Prabhat Pattanayak  delivered his address as the key note speaker  in the programme alongside of the Left Leaders of the state including former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattachary and  Left Front Chairman Biman Basu . Notable speakers in the programme included Jyoti Basu’s press Secretary  Sarit Bandhyapadhya and   Naxal leader  Ajijul Haque, CPI leader Manjukumar Majumdar , Rsp leader Khiti Goswami   .  The programme was presided over  by nonagenarian  Forward Block leader Ashok Ghosh .

In his keynote address eminent economist  Prabhat Pattanayak said that after the Castro brothers  Jyoti Basu is the only communist leader in the world with maximum popularity .While Party leaders like P Sundaraiya  M Basabpunanaiah came from a humble background Jyoti Basu who belonged from a well to do background had been endeared to the mass as he had no duplicity  and had earned the trust of the masses  as an outstanding communist leader . 

In his speech he traced  the origin of Bengals Social and economic crisis  and he said that after Ireland ,Bengal was the next colony of the raj era  which was exploited to the core by the colonial rule  by lieu of permanent settlement . The Agararian crisis which stared at the state  was due to no capital intake in irrigation   and per capita agrarian growth was the lowest in  the state . Along with that  there was crisis in the Jute and other capital industry in the state and said that  real revival of the states economy occurred in the 80’s decade  and it was the  2nd renaissance of Bengal courtesy the communist party . Accusing that it has been the Union Government which has led the state Governments to a Debt trap he said that now industrial growth is at 0 % and inflation stands at 10%. The Neo liberalization has thrown   a fascist face as the corporate lobby has brought to the power in the country  Narendra mOdi . Now we are in the face of rampant Privatistation with  employment growth at 0.8%  we are now faced  with the growth of lumpen capitalism which is happening  in the state of west Bengal.Infact the nature of criminal activities which are taking place in the state can be explained with this  and the Left Is the only consistent force against this .  HE also called for throwing up of new programme alongside the old ones like the land reforms  or smashing the caste basis in agriculture  and  he called on to the Left  to campaign for movement based on giving universal rights to people like that of right to free heathcare , right to food and   Right to free quality education and so on .

 Former Chief Minister of the state Buddhadeb Bhattacharya described The communist leader  as a multifaceted persona and harped on the three main attributes of Jyoti Basu as champion of democratic rights , as   a   champion of  secular credentials  and his credit in bringing the voice of the working class and the agrarian section to the  corridors of power.  He also said that currently we are in a difficult situation where the country’s politics has taken a rightist turn  and the Corporate RSS lobby has brought the   Narendra Modi to the power.

Left Front Chairman Biman Basu in his speech  highlighted that attribute of Jyoti Basu and his zeal to work for the common people  and to work without any personal gain  and called on to people  for following that ideals .  In his Speech Press Secretary to Jyoti Basu pointed out his qualities as a human being - one who worked with rational mind and scientific attitude .  In His speech Naxal leader Ajijul Haque pointed out  that Jyoti Basu was  during the times of ideological struggle was  the emblem of change .   The Longest Serving speaker of any assembly of the country , Former West Bengal speaker Hasim Abdul Halim in his speech  told that  Comrade Jyoti Basu is an emblem of movement . 

 The programme where  Cultural rendition’s were made was organized by Jyoti Basu Birth centenary observance Committee which consisted of wHo’s who of the cultural literary political  and sports world .  The Committee has also taken up programme of organizing Symposiums seminars and other programmes to observe the birth centenary of the ace statesman.  Apart from the Central programme throughout the state  Blood donation camp  and cultural programmes were held  in memory of the Communist leader.