People's DemocracyIN a statement issued in the afternoon of February 22, 2008, Biman Basu, secretary of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) has said that the Bengal unit of the Party ‘does not agree' with the views expressed by Abdur Rezzak Mollah, state LF government's land and land reforms minister, on the occasion of the international mother language day on February 21 at a programme where an alleged comment made by him about the Marwari community has been carried in the media.
The CPI(M), Biman Basu iterates, never harbours any anti-thetical or inimical outlook on any language and community. The state leadership of the Bengal CPI(M) shall speak to the concerned CPI(M) minister on the comment he is alleged to have made. The Bengal CPI(M) expresses its regrets if any community has felt hurt at the comment allegedly made.
ON RAILWAY BUDGET
THE presnt Railway budget is not really to be subjected to harsh criticism. This is not to say that all the budgets presented by the UPA government have been pro-people.
No pro-people dimensions are visible yet, for example, on such core sectors as health and education. By comparison, the Railway budget does possess some welcome features.
It is good that special passenger concessions have been awarded to girl students and elderly women. It would have been better had the budget included some more projects for Bengal. It is imperative to widen the Railway network in Bengal, and this is an issue that must be looked at.
(B P)
