People's Democracy

CPI(M) Opposes

Second SRC on Telangana

THE CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh state committee has strongly opposed the reported attempts of the central government to form a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to consider Telangana statehood and other such demands. Terming this move as deceiving the people of the state and enlarging the separatist issues elsewhere in the country, the CPI(M) has counselled the state and central governments to instead take action on the recommendations of the Justice Srikrishna Committee and put a full stop to the issue once for all.

CPI(M) state secretary and Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu, briefing the reporters about the deliberations of the one day state committee meeting held on May 23, said that the uncertain political situation in Andhra Pradesh is continuing even after the bye elections to Kadapa Lok Sabha and Assembly seat. The total lack of governance, the internal bickering in the ruling party, the neglect  of people's issues etc were continuing. The recent visit of Congress general secretary in charge of the state, Ghulam Nabi Azad, to the state has not resulted in any change in the situation as he only concentrated on the internal bickering within the party.

The state committee passed a resolution demanding from the government urgent measures to provide subsidised seeds, fertiliser and loans to the farmers for the kharif season as also identity cards for tenant farmers. It also expressed full support to the ongoing struggle launched by farmers organisations seeking hike in MSP for paddy. He reminded that the FCI was purchasing the grain directly from the farmers in the state of Punjab. Because of the absence of such a scenario in AP, the farmers are falling prey to the millers and the middlemen. Even the neighbouring states of AP were providing a bonus of Rs 200 to Rs 300 per quintal of paddy. Raghavulu demanded that the state government must also follow that precedent and allocate Rs 200 as bonus per quintal of paddy for the farmers of the state, thus alleviating their plight. He criticised the state government's apathy in dealing with farmers problems as was evident in it not even having a full time agriculture minister ever since Y S Vivekananda Reddy resigned to contest in Kadapa assembly bye-election.

About the controversy regarding limiting reservation to backward classes in the local body elections in view of Supreme Court's stipulation of limiting all reservations to 50 per cent, Raghavulu said that if need the Act must be amended to continue the 61 per cent existing reservations to overcome the SC stipulation. He reminded that the CPI(M) had advocated the same during Mandal commission report for states like Tamilnadu and AP which had higher quotas already in implementation. Raghavulu said the SC stipulation can be followed by states that didnt already have such high quotas.

The state committee also criticised the state government for granting permission to mine china clay, bauxite and other mineral resources in the state when the central government is coming up with an all India policy. It demanded that all such licences be reviewed.

(INN)