The Hindu : CPI(M) plans mass campaign ahead of May 21 bandh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 15, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

CPI(M) plans mass campaign ahead of May 21 bandh

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD May 14. The CPI(M) State Committee secretary, B. V. Raghavulu, on Wednesday charged the Government with pushing privatisation aggressively and offering even key Government jobs on contract, threatening security.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Raghavulu pointed to the Government orders filling 1,334 vacant posts of village secretaries, on contract basis. It was strange that the Government was resorting to such a move, after setting up village secretariats, realising their importance.

Among the key functions, the village secretaries have to maintain revenue records. Could a person holding a temporary contract post, do justice and be accountable, he asked. Equally deplorable was the manner in which the Government wants to fill 1,697 posts of junior linemen in AP TRANSCO and all Class IV employees posts in hospitals on contract basis. The plan to create Hospital Development Societies to run Government hospitals was yet another move to privatise essential services.

It was to oppose such privatisation moves and steep hike in power tariff and highlight the miserable failure of the Government in providing adequate drought relief that the mass organisations supported by the Left parties and Congress had called bandh on May 21. Even while claiming that it would not resort to any hike, the power tariff for the non-domestic sector had been increased, to fetch additional revenue of Rs. 226 crores. It would hit small businessmen.

On drought relief, Mr. Raghavulu said the Government's efficiency was reflected in the way it failed to distribute even 5 lakh tonnes of rice so far under the Food-for-Work (FFW) programme, from the 15 lakh tonnes, it had received from the Centre. In a month's time, it has to ensure distribution of 10 lakh tonnes, which means, lot of scope for misuse.

He said as part of the preparations for the bandh, the party would organise picketing of district Collectorates on May 16 and 17, `padayatra' on May 18 and cycle yatra on May 19.

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CPI(M) plans mass campaign ahead of May 21 bandh