People's Democracy

DELHI

CPI(M) Convention Chalks Out Campaign & Struggle Programme

THE CPI(M) Delhi state committee has decided to launch a one and a half month long campaign on certain pressing problems of the people of Delhi resulting from the neo-liberal economic policies of the central and state governments. An well-attended convention, organised by the Party at Constitution Club on August 17, discussed and adopted a resolution outlining the issues, charter of demands and action programme for this campaign.

Among the issues identified in the resolution include those of land, employment and food on which the central committee of the Party has called for an all-India campaign and struggle in August and September. The concrete dimensions of these problems in Delhi and the demands emanating from them have been outlined in the resolution.

Another important issue highlighted by the resolution concerns the state of civic amenities in Delhi, especially the steep hikes in power and water tariffs, the disastrous impact of privatisation of power and the impending threat of privatisation of water and other amenities.

Rights and livelihood of workers, alarming increase in heinous crimes against women and the condition of dalits in Delhi are other issues decided for the campaign.

The convention also approved a phase wise programme of campaign, the details of which are as under: 

• Aug 19 – Sept 5: Leaflet distribution, nukkad/public meetings in different areas to popularise the issues and demands of the campaign.

• Sept 6 - 19: Local level dharnas, demonstrations, processions etc.

• Sept 22: State level rally. Venue of the rally will be announced later.

• Sept 29: Industrial Strike – The convention extended full support to this all-India industrial strike called by the central trade unions.

The CPI(M) Delhi state committee called upon different sections of the working people to extend their support to its attempts to fight back the anti-people policies of the state and central governments.

Charter of Demands

The convention organised by the Delhi state committee of the CPI(M) set out the following demands directed at the state and central governments around which campaign and struggle will be organised in Delhi in August and September 2005

•  Reverse privatisation of power distribution. Immediately withdraw the recent hike in power tariffs.

• Stop moves to privatise water and other civic facilities and fulfil your responsibility to the people.

• Provide employment to at least one person from each family in Delhi as per the promise made in the CMP of the UPA government. Lift ban on recruitment in government jobs. Give unemployment allowance to the unemployed. Increase grants for self-employment schemes and ensure their proper and transparent allocation and expenditure. Withdraw proposal to allow FDI in retail trade.

• Ensure universalisation of the Public Distribution System. In the interim issue BPL ration cards to all eligible persons who are denied this facility. Change present criteria for determining BPL beneficiaries. Expand list of goods available in PDS to include other essential items like dal, cheap cloth, notebooks, etc. Order impartial enquiry into the large scale pilferage and corruption in the Public Distribution System.

• Allocate sufficient land in all parts of the city for low cost housing. Rehabilitate jhuggis through development at their original locations or within 2-3 km, if their present location is needed for pressing social needs. Provide full civic amenities in jhuggi clusters relocated at the outskirts of the city. Withdraw the Master Plan’s proposal for giving land and housing construction rights to private builders.

• Scrap current practice of licensing of hawkers plying their trade through rehri-patri-khomcha-khoka. Instead introduce open registration of hawkers with no upper limit. Provide hawking spaces near shopping centres and other public places. Fix timings and space for weekly markets and allow unrestricted access of hawkers to residential areas at specified times.

• Increase the ratio of allocation for the uplift of dalits in Delhi from the current 0.69 per cent to at least 5 per cent of the total plan outlay. Ensure full, transparent and planned expenditure of such allocations. Make and implement specific schemes for improving the working conditions of dalits. Ensure fulfilment of quotas reserved for dalits in each category of government jobs.

• Ensure greater patrolling and timely intervention of the police to deal with the heinous crimes against women. Make thanas and their officers accountable for such crimes in areas under their jurisdiction. Quickly apprehend criminals and ensure severe punishment to them. The union home ministry must regularly monitor intervention of Delhi Police on crimes against women and ensure safety of women.

• Stop attacks on trade union rights. Implement minimum wages and other legal rights of workers. Stop contractualising jobs of permanent nature. Ensure equal wages for equal work to women workers. Take immediate steps to prevent sexual harassment of women at their work place. Enact and implement adequate legislation to safeguard interests of workers in informal and domestic industries.