Without taking into account political affiliation , members of the public and political parties should wholeheartedly participate in Saturday’s bandh to protest against the Karnataka government’s move to construct dam across River Cauvery in Mekedatu, said CPI(M)’s Central committee member T.K. Rangarajan held here on Friday.
The Central Government promised to protect the interests of Tamil Nadu’s farmers but it seemed to have done nothing. The loss that would occur due to shortage of water and fall in agriculture production in delta district would not be that of Tamil Nadu alone.
This was what the farmers had clearly told the Prime Minister Narendra Modi when they met him a month ago to explain the impact of Karnataka’s project in the State, Mr. Rangarajan told a press conference. The State Government claimed that it had come up with a tax-free budget. The truth was something else.
The government was under no compulsion to raise price or cut taxes only during budget as it was doing it all through the year.
Only recently it had increased the price of milk and other essential commodities.
The State government’s deficit would also be a problem. At present it was Rs. 4,000 crore and was expected to touch 56,000 crore in the near future.
Pointing out the contractions in the government and the party, he said that while the AIADMK welcomed the Union Budget, Chief Minister and Finance Minister O. Pannerselvam had said that the quantum of money to be transferred from the Central Government to Tamil Nadu had come down.
Not only Tamil Nadu but almost all state governments including those ruled by the BJP were under tremendous pressure as the Central Government had cut the quantum of money to the states. The CPI(M) leader also criticised the BJP-run state governments for the move to ban beef. Mr. Rangarajan was here to participate in the programme to conduct training for the CITU office bearers on political and economic policies being pursued by the BJP government.
It is in protest against the Karnataka government’s move to construct dam across River Cauvery in Mekedatu
