Thousands of CPI(M) Workers Court Arrest In Punjab

 MORE than twenty thousand CPI(M) workers courted arrest before district collector offices in Punjab to press for thirteen point demand charter relating to the burning demands of various sections of the people. The programme at Ludhiana DC office was sought to be violently disrupted by the police which led to a scuffle. Balwant Singh, state secretary of CPI(M) and Chand Singh Chopra also offered themselves for arrest at Sangrur.

This action was the culmination of a week long campaign launched by the state unit of CPI(M) against rampant corruption in the state. It set up counters in all courts from November 8 -15 and collected affidavits of corruption complaints. These affidavits were submitted to all district collectors.

Apart from these affidavits, memorandums were submitted through the Deputy Commissioners to the chief minister of Punjab in which the following demands were made:

·        remunerative minimum support prices should be ensured for all agricultural products

·        the steep hike in power tariff should be withdrawn and free electricity to poor peasants and agricultural labourers and rural poor be restored

·        new connection of the tube wells be immediately released

·        fourteen articles of essential commodities of daily use be supplied at subsidised rates through Public Distribution System

·        effective steps be taken to re-open the closed industrial units and to check rising number of illegal closures, lock-outs and retrenchments

·        the decision to ban new recruitment’s in the government departments be withdrawn and new job opportunities be generated

·        to provide government jobs to one person from every family as assured in the election manifesto of the Congress party

·        Old age and widow pensions should be released immediately

·        Shagun scheme should be revived as assured in the election manifesto. Education and health services be provided at cheaper rate and

·        that every family of khet mazdoor worker be given Rs 500 as drought relief.

 The government of Punjab instead of addressing to the above problems has further burdened the drought hit people of Punjab by enhancing power rates and withdrawing facility of free power to poor peasants and the people of Punjab.