People's Democracy

ANTI-PEOPLE WORLD BANK PRESCRIPTIONS

Delhi State CPI(M) Says No To Privatisation

THE CPI(M) Delhi state committee held a massive protest demonstration near ITO on September 22 against the Sheila Dikshit government’s policy of privatising civic amenities.

The demonstration was addressed by Jogendra Sharma, central committee member, Ashalata, secretary AIDWA Delhi state committee, Albeena Shakil, secretary, Delhi state committee of SFI, Sudhir Kumar, president Delhi CITU, and Party state secretary P M S Grewal.

The speakers accused Sheila Dikshit and her government of acting as agents of private power companies. The resignation of the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Delhi assembly on the grounds that he is being prevented from presenting the PAC report on power privatisation exposes the scam and scandal involved in the process of privatisation of power. This was done because the report severely indicts the government. Shiela Dikshit has repeatedly and most shamelessly defended private power companies owned by Reliance and the Tata group and has been instrumental in providing them hundreds of crores of rupees in subsidies and profits. It is increasingly appearing that she is more a representative of these companies than the people of Delhi. She has lost her moral right to continue as chief minister. The speakers demanded a time bound CBI enquiry into the power privatisation scam.

Speakers also exposed the conspiracy of the Delhi government to privatise water supply as per the World Bank prescriptions. This will lead to manifold increase in water rates and monopolisation of a common natural resource by a few companies and the rich. Speakers gave examples of the disastrous consequences of such measures in other countries. The blueprint of this betrayal is ready and is expected to be signed in November. The speakers declared that the CPI(M) will launch a movement against this grossly anti-people plan and mobilise the people of Delhi to force the Congress state government to withdraw its plan.

Besides the above, the Party took up issues like crimes against women, public distribution system, minimum wages and rights of workers, unemployment, condition of dalits etc in the course of a month long campaign conducted by it in different areas of Delhi.

Demonstrations were also held the same day in Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida on similar issues. In Ghaziabad over 1500 people held a demonstration at the DM’s office. It was addressed by Brahmjit Singh and Vijender Sharma, state secretariat members. The demonstration in Faridabad was held at the mini-secretariat and addressed by Mohan Lal and S B Bharadwaj, state secretariat members as well as Faridabad Party district secretary, Vijay Jha. In Noida, the demonstrators were addressed by Baldev Singh, state secretariat member and Noida secretary of the party, Udaichad Jha.

Earlier, CPI(M) state secretary P M S Grewal in a statement issued on September 21 stated that the resignation of Dr S C Vats from the post of chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee of the Delhi state assembly has highlighted the scam and scandal underlying the process of privatisation of power supply in Delhi. Dr Vats had alleged that the presenting of the PAC’s report before the assembly was being sabotaged. This report has severely indicted the Delhi state government for the process adopted while privatising power supply. CPI(M) will not accept this effort of Shiela Dikshit government to conceal the murky process and fall-out of privatisation by sabotaging the PAC report’s presentation, he stated.

The CPI(M) Delhi state committee made the following three demands:

1.  All relevant documents concerning the process and terms and conditions of privatisation of power supply must be immediately sealed and handed over to the Central Vigilance Commission.

2. The Central Vigilance Commissioner must conduct an inquiry into the process, particularly the terms and conditions of privatisation of power and submit his/her report within a period of three months.

3. The PAC report must be tabled in the monsoon session of the assembly.

(INN)