CPM, CPI plan mass picketing today

Addressing a press meet here on Saturday, CPM Secretary B Madhava said the CPM will urge the government to delink PDS entitlements from bogus planning commission poverty estimates; provide food security through legislation and supply of cheap foodgrains, pulses, sugar and cooking oil. Though the election manifesto promised to distribute rice at the rate of Rs 2 per kg, it has not been implemented so far in Karnataka. The rice is distributed to the citizens at the rate of Rs 2 per kg in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.  He said government should cut customs and excise duties on oil and reduce retail prices on petrol and diesel. Initiative should be taken to crackdown hoarders and black marketeers in the country to check price rise of essential commodities.  Madhava urged the government to enact urban employment guarantee legislation with equal wages and rights for women. There is a need to remove the existing  general ban on recruitment and fill existing vacancies in the SC/ST and quotas for the disabled in government services and public sector.  There is a need to review and revise the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to increase work days and wages. He urged the government to stop retrenchment of workers in the name of recession.

He urged the government to implement comprehensive redistributive land reforms and stop reversal of land reforms and relaxation on ceilings. The government lands, barren land and waste lands must be distributed to the poor.