CPI (M) criticizes central and state budgets

CPI (M) criticizes central and state budgets

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, April 13, 2012 : The Communist Party of India (Marxist) organized a protest on Thursday against the central and state government budgets.

In his protest address, B. Madhava, the secretary of the CPI (M) District committee, said that the state government has earmarked only a small amount of Rs. 301 crore toward drought relief in 123 taluks. When divided among the drought-hit areas, each taluk will receive a meager Rs. 1.5 crore, he said, adding that while it has set aside such a meager amount for drought relief, the government has earmarked Rs. 394 crore for temple and mutt development.

Further, he said that, in the Rs. 1 lakh crore budget, the government has set aside Rs. 2000 crore for industrial investment.

Speaking about the BJP’s election manifesto of 2008, he said that the party had promised to provide 1kg rice at subsidized rates of Rs. 2 to BPL families, but CM D. V. Sadananda Gowda has failed to implement even this in the state budget.

He further criticized that, although the government has set aside a good amount in the agriculture budget, it has no way of reaching eligible farmers. Besides, it is worth noting that industrial production is on the decline in spite of investor’s meets held regularly in Karnataka. He alleged that these investors’ meets are just publicity campaigns and ads for the BJP.

Flaying the central budget, he said that the budget has hiked excise tax and certain subsidies, which has led to price hike. He said that the reduction in the rate of employees’ provident fund from 9.5 percent to 8.25 percent proves that the central government is least bothered about the working classes.

CPI (M) leaders Yadav Shetty and Balakrishna Shetty; CITU leader Vasanth Achari; and Muneer Katipalla, the district president of the DYFI, were also present.