People's Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
No. 37
September 16, 2012
|
Vol. XXXVI
No. 37 September 16, 2012 |
POLIT BUREAU
COMMUNIQUE Cancel Coal Block
Allocations, Punish Violators The
Polit Bureau of the
Communist Party of Prime Minister in the Dock THE
coal allocation
scandal has exposed how the “captive coalmine route” has
led to corruption and
crony capitalism. This was a route devised and utilised to
bring backdoor
privatisation of the coal industry which is still a
nationalised sector by law
in The
coal ministry was
under the prime minister during most of the period which
has been examined by
the CAG. Under his watch, the prime minister’s office
intervened to ensure coal
blocks to certain private parties and to provide undue
benefits for those
allocated coal blocks such as the use of excess coal. The
prime minister, in his
statement tabled in parliament, has sought to defend the
indefensible. The
prime minister is in the dock for the policies and
decisions which have led to
high-level corruption in the coal block allocations. The
Polit Bureau demands a
high level enquiry which should encompass the role of the
prime minister’s
office in the allocation of coal blocks. All those found
responsible for wrong
doing and causing loss to the exchequer should be
proceeded against. In the
meantime, the coal block allocations to private companies,
which have been done
in an irregular fashion, should be cancelled forthwith and
those who have
violated the terms and conditions must be punished. There
are certain lessons
to be learnt from this coal allocation episode. Coal is a
fossil fuel and a
non-renewable natural resource. The state holds these
reserves in public trust
and it should not be featured as a means of maximising
revenue or enabling
windfall profits for private companies. That is why the
CPI(M) is resolutely
opposed to the privatisation of the coal sector. The
present arrangement of
assigning coal blocks to private companies for mining for
certain end-uses
should be stopped. Allocation of coal for private sector
power and steel plants
should be done through the nodal agency, the Coal India
Ltd. Blocks allotted
for such enterprises should be mined by the CIL and its
subsidiaries. In the
states, state-run mining corporations can be involved in
the process. The
rights of the coal-bearing states have to be safeguarded
while the production
of coal and its allocation for the entire country should
be done in a planned
manner. The
BJP, which stalled
parliament on this issue, is itself responsible for the
coal allocation policy
during the NDA government. It sought to privatise coal
allocation by bringing
legislation to that effect. There is no difference between
the BJP and the
Congress as far as allowing private companies to loot the
coal reserves of the
country. Other CAG Reports Two
other CAG reports were
tabled along with the report on coal allocation. One of
the reports is on the
Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project. Here permission was given
to use the excess
coal produced from the coal block allocations to the UMPP.
This was a post-bid
concession to the Reliance Power Company, enabling it to
get a benefit of Rs 11,852
crore. Action should be taken to realise the amount. The
other report pertains
to the PPP for the The
Polit Bureau discussed
the situation in the Bodo Territorial Autonomous District
(BTAD) area since the
clashes which took place a few weeks ago. Even today there
are 2.4 lakh people
living in relief camps. The Polit Bureau wants steps to be
taken expeditiously
for the return and rehabilitation of all the people in the
relief camps. The
administration should provide adequate security for the
people to return to
their homes and for restoration of normal life. The party
condemns the efforts
by various extremist forces to further the communal and
ethnic polarisation in
the state. There has to be the speedy updating of the
National Register of
Indian Citizens (NRIC) based on the 1971 voter list and
distribution of photo
identity cards to all citizens based on that. Communal & Divisive Forces The
situation in There
have been a spate of
communal incidents in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in the
western part of the
state. Communal violence occurred in Kosi Kalan, Bariely,
The
right of workers and
citizens to work and stay in any part of the country has
to be protected and
ensured. The Polit Bureau calls for vigilance against the
activities and
designs of the communal and divisive forces. The efforts
to disrupt the unity
of the people on communal or regional lines should be
strongly rebuffed. Kerala The
Polit Bureau greeted
the Kerala unit of the party for the successful siege of
the secretariat and
the district collectorates on August 22. Over five lakh
people participated in
these protests, demanding food security; a universal
public distribution
system; 35 kg of foodgrains at a maximum rate of two
rupees a kilo per family
per month etc. The
UDF government
continues to target CPI(M) leaders and cadres by
implicating them in false
cases. The secretary of the Kannur district committee, two
other state
committee members, some district secretariat, area and
local committee members
of the Kozhikode and Kannur districts have been implicated
in three cases of
murder. In the T P Chandrasekharan murder case, the police
have chargesheeted
76 persons, of which many are CPI(M) cadres and members
who have been falsely
implicated. The
CPI(M) had stated at
the outset that the party is not involved in the murder of
T P Chandrasekharan.
The CPI(M) had said that a proper investigation should be
conducted and the
culprits brought to book. However, even after the
investigation by the state
police which has been done under political pressure, the
demand for a CBI
investigation has been made by the RMP. Their claim is
that a CBI investigation
is required as the state leadership of the CPI(M) has not
been brought into the
net of the accused. The political intention for a further
probe is evident, i.e.
to implicate the leaders of the CPI(M) who have not been
found involved in the
case by the SIT. The home minister of Kerala has stated
that he has no
objection to a CBI enquiry. The CPI(M) warns against any
such motivated enquiry
and calls upon the people to realise the conspiracy behind
such a move. Food Security The
Polit Bureau reviewed
the movement for food security conducted by the Left
parties in July-August. It
decided to make the September 12 Food Security Day
observance a success. Trade Union Call The
Polit Bureau welcomed
the call given by the central trade unions in the national
convention organised
on September 4 for the next phase of the struggle. The
party will extend its
full support to the joint struggle which will culminate in
the two-day general
strike in February 2013.
