CPI(M) opposes move to privatise civic works

Party plans to lay a siege to Assembly during the budget session

December 15, 2016 12:56 am | Updated 12:56 am IST

CPI(M) State secretary P. Madhu leading a padayatra in protest against the government’s move to privatise civic services, in Ongole on Wednesday.

CPI(M) State secretary P. Madhu leading a padayatra in protest against the government’s move to privatise civic services, in Ongole on Wednesday.

ONGOLE: CPI(M) State secretary P. Madhu on Wednesday said that a massive agitation would be launched by roping in like-minded parties if the government did not drop its move to privatise civic infrastructure works in urban local bodies.

Leading a padayatra to highlight the civic woes of the people here, he said that party activists would lay a siege to the Assembly during the budget session to thwart the move to amend the Municipal Act to entrust all civic works, including sanitation and provision of drinking water, to the proposed Urban Infrastructure Management Company and empower it to recover the entire cost by imposing hefty taxes on the poor and middle class people.

“If this is allowed, the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, and the corporators will become redundant,” he argued, adding that the CPI(M) would take the lead in bringing together all the opposition parties and protect the interests of the common people.

He said that the party activists would not hesitate to offer ‘shramadaan’ to clean cities and towns, which were being turned into slums by not appointing sanitary workers.

It was unfortunate that the ruling BJP-TDP combine extended more concessions to the corporate sector and imposed hefty tax burdens on the common people, he added.

Demonetisation announced on the pretext of eradicating black money did not serve the purpose, he opined. Instead, it hit hard the common people by way of price rise and hampered construction and other economic activities, rendering more people jobless, particularly in the unorganised sector, he said, adding that more digital transactions meant more indirect tax burden on the common people.

Reminding the Centre of its poll promise to bring back black money stashed in tax heavens abroad, he said that the common people were waiting for crediting of their accounts with the promised deposit.

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