CPI(M) resurrects whipping boy

Kolkata, 31 Aug: The CPI(M) today sent out the message that in the run-up to Assembly polls, it would increasingly fall back on the politics of Centre-bashing that had brought the Left Front to power more than 30 years ago.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told an alliance gathering organised at Netaji Indoor stadium to commemorate the 51st year of the party’s food movement: “The Centre is turning a blind eye towards Bengal, which is reeling under a drought now.”

He said: “Agricultural production has gone down and the drought condition in 11 districts of our state will affect rice production. But the Centre is not bothered as to how prices will be checked. Food items are rotting in FCI godowns. Prices of essentials are rising. Rise in diesel prices has affected the transport sector and increased food inflation. But the central government couldn’t care less. (We must) tell the people how indifferent the Congress is towards their plight.”

Bhattacharjee appeared to have been voicing minutes of the recently held Vijayawada CPI(M) central committee conclave that had underscored the need to fight the neo-liberal policies of the Centre “tooth and nail’’.

CPI(M) leaders said the move to step up the heat on the Centre was also a way of telling the cadres it would be the party’s election strategy for the coming months.

The chief minister exhorted party supporters today to reach out to the people in towns and villages to spread the message that the Congress government at the Centre was pursuing anti-people policies. The “consistent denial” of NREGA (the rural job scheme) funds to the Bengal government was cited as evidence of such policies.

“I appeal to all Left Front workers to spread out to every town, village, nook and corner of our state and tell the poor people that we had thought of providing work to them under NREGA but the central government wasn’t releasing money on this account,’’ Bhattacharjee said.

“Cultivation in Bengal was seriously hit by the drought and hence there was a need to provide alternative work to the affected farmers through NREGA. We had asked for Rs 1,400 crore but the amount given was far less. I had written to the Prime Minister in this regard. Even today, I had a talk with the Centre on this,’’ the chief minister added.

Before coming to power in Bengal, the Left had always indulged in Congress-bashing on economic policies as well as Centre-state relations. “Strong anti-Congress sentiments expressed by our speakers at most of our political rallies during the 1970s gave us enough mileage and eventually we succeeded in toppling the Siddhartha Shankar Ray government. This time too, we need to train our guns on the Congress-led UPA government,” CPI(M) state secretariat member Mohammad Salim said.

However, the chief minister’s apparent eagerness to get more funds for the 100-day work scheme is in contrast to reports that Bengal’s record in NREGA implementation hasn’t been “up to the mark’’.

A panchayat department official said: “In 2007 and 2008, the state government could only provide between 25 and 27 days of work to the rural poor. Last year, it was close to 30 days of the 100 days assured by the NREGA scheme. So, asking for more funds can be justified if the state provides more workdays to the intended beneficiaries.”

As on earlier occasions, Bhattacharjee criticised Mamata Banerjee for being party to the Centre-sponsored decisions. “She is the leader of a party that is part of the central government and hence she should explain matters. But her only policy and programme is to spread calumny and lies,’’ the chief minister said.


The Telegraph