People's Democracy

ON February 3, chaired by the prime minister, an all-party meeting on the issue of the Gujarat earthquake took place at New Delhi. The CPI(M) made a presentation at the meeting, based on the report of its delegation that had widely toured through the devastated areas. While making his presentation on the Gujarat disaster at the meeting, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury highlighted the utter lack of coordination on part of the state government. He shared with the meeting his personal experience of the massive destruction in Kutch area where at places no relief activity had taken place. He demanded the creation of a national committee consisting of political parties along with NGOs and government officials to oversee the relief work so that no one affected was left out. The meeting agreed with the demand. There were complaints that the government was not interacting with other parties at the time of such a crisis. The creation of such a committee would remove such a complaint.

Smt Sonia Gandhi, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, suggested the creation of a permanent National Disaster Management Team which would include professionals, and which would automatically take charge in case of a natural calamity. This suggestion too was accepted.

Yechury informed the prime minister at the meeting that he had seen large stocks of goods lying at the airport but that there was no one to oversee the distribution. Reports of aid going waste are abounding. No official had so far visited many of the villages which were completely destroyed, even seven days after the quake had leveled them. There appeared to be a total lack of coordination and there was no administrative authority to monitor the disbursement of aid to the people. He suggested that the local administrative set-up be strengthened by drawing officers from the adjoining states for the distribution of relief supplies which the local administration had failed to deliver. The immensity of the misery is so great that immediate steps need to be taken to avert any further deterioration of the situation. He said the quake in Gujarat was one of the worst national calamities. It had caused immense suffering to the people and the poor were the most affected.

The CPI(M) opposed the imposition of additional taxes across the board and wanted that the burden be shifted on to the rich. Yechury emphasised at the meeting that there is no need for the central government to impose a 2 per cent surcharge on all taxpayers; this should have been done on a graded basis and limited to the higher income groups or the corporates who have been making huge profits. He said there was all around concern and a lot of money was being collected. Therefore any indiscriminate imposition of taxes must be avoided as it would increase the sufferings of the poor people all over the country.

The meeting brought out the confusion prevailing in the government on the issue of additional taxes. The finance minister has been making statements that there is no need for more taxes while the prime minister has been insisting on mopping up additional revenue for Gujarat. Similarly, while the railway minister has been saying that there would be no increase in rail fares and freight, the prime minister has been advocating an increase in rail fares. Fernandes said over 1,00,000 people had died while the home minister said only 14,000 were killed. Referring to such statements, Yechuri pointed out that the government was not clear on any issue. Although the meeting was convened to discuss the Gujarat situation, the discussions focussed on handling such calamities at the national level.

Senior Janata Dal leader S R Bommai was of the idea that MPs must be permitted to provide Rs 10 lakh each from their Local Area Development Fund besides one month’s salary. He said there was a need to protect the poor and the downtrodden, and also an immediate need to prevent the outbreak of epidemics in the region.

It was pointed out that assistance from some states was highlighted while assistance by West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala in particular was nowhere mentioned. A large team of doctors sent by the CPI(M) had done a great deal of service immediately after the quake, but for 36 hours after they arrived in the state there was no one to give them required direction. (INN)