CPI seeks people-friendly budget

Demanding a people-friendly budget, the CPI unit of Dakshina Kannada district staged a protest in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Friday.

Addressing the protesters, CPI DK and Udupi secretary V Kukkyan said the state is reeling under a worst drought with more than 160 taluks being declared as drought-hit.

With the failure of South West Monsoon and North East Monsoon, crops worth Rs 25,000 crore have been lost according to the state government’s estimates. The people in rural areas are in distress due to shortage of drinking water and lack of employment, he claimed.

Noting that the Union government has not taken any measures to waive farm loan in its budget, he said it has also failed to announce compensation for the loss of crops following drought. BJP that has been demanding waiver of loans borrowed by the farmers in Karnataka, has failed to impress upon the BJP-led government at the Centre to waive the loan, he criticised.

He condemned steep increase in the price of LPG cylinders. From Rs 411, the price of the LPG cylinder has been hiked to Rs 770. With the hike in price of LPG cylinder and other essential commodities, the Union government has placed a huge burden on the people with the price increase. A steep rise in the price of LPG and petrol would certainly hit their daily life and also increase the cost of inputs for agriculture, he said.

The Union government has failed in keeping its election promises and also arresting the spiralling prices of essential commodities. It has adopted ‘anti-people’ and ‘anti-poor’ policies, which are a burden on the common man, he criticised.

It has accepted the recommendations on pay commission. But it has utterly failed to implement a minimum wage of Rs 18,000 for anganwadi, mid-day meal and Asha workers. Even the state government has failed to pay a minimum wage of Rs 10,500 for those working on contract, daily wage basis in various departments, he said.

CPI leader Shekar said both the BJP and Congress have failed to solve the problems faced by the farmers and labour class.