People's Democracy

Four Crore Signatures Submitted to PM

LEADERS of the Left parties --- the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the All India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party --- met the prime minister on February 26 and submitted a memorandum urging the government to take immediate measures to bring a food security legislation in this budget session of parliament, which would provide for a universal public distribution system and ensure 35 kg of foodgrains at not more than Rs 2 per kg. They also urged an end to the cash transfer scheme for the public distribution system.

The Left parties had conducted a signature campaign throughout the country and had collected over four crore signatures. Papers carrying these signatures were also delivered at the prime minister’s office.

Those who met the prime minister were Prakash Karat, S Sudhakar Reddy, Debabrata Biswas, T J Chandrachoodan (general secretaries of the CPI(M), CPI, AIFB and RSP respectively), Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat (members of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau), D Raja (leader of the CPI group in Rajya Sabha and Abani Roy (leader, RSP).

The full text of the memorandum signed by the general secretaries of the four Left parties is given below:

“All over the country, people are suffering from acute price rise especially of food items. At this juncture the issue of food security has assumed critical importance. The Left parties have been conducting a campaign for the past one year for an effective food security law based on a universal public distribution system.

“In this connection, the Left parties have conducted a mass signature campaign all over the country on the following three demands:

“1) A Food Security law providing for a universal public distribution system without dividing the people into BPL and APL.

“2) 35 kg of foodgrains should be supplied at not more than Rs 2 per kg.

“3) No cash transfer scheme in the public distribution system.

“Till February 20, 2013 we have received 4,01,00,273 (four crore, one lakh, two hundred and seventy three) signatures. We are herewith submitting these signatures to you, which embody the popular expectations of the people for an effective food security law.

“We hope your government will take immediate measures to bring the food security legislation on the above lines in this budget session of parliament.”