Southern States
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Tamil Nadu
Govt. failed to gauge people's resentment: CPI
By Our Staff Reporter
TIRUCHI, DEC. 8. The across-the-board hike in the rates of services and essential commodities, announced by the State Government, has met with stiff resistance from all sections, as reflected in the success of Friday's bandh, Mr. R. Nallakannu, CPI State Secretary, said today.
The sweeping measures, amounting to a mini-budget, were unprecedented, having been announced without any discussion in the Assembly. The Government, was perhaps, emboldened by the failure of the transport strike, Mr. Nallakannu told the inaugural session of the three-day 15th State conference of the AITUC here.
However, it failed to realise the groundswell of public opinion. The public resistance transcended political differences, hence the peaceful and successful conduct of the bandh.
Rejecting the partial rollback of the increases in bus fare and power tariff as an ``eyewash,'' Mr.Nallakannu said people wanted the entire hike scrapped.
In fact, the ``reduction'' in power tariff would not result in any significant benefit to consumers. Officials were resorting to statistical jugglery to divert the people's attention. Also the Government had only deferred the proposed changes in Public Distribution System for a few months.
Mr. Nallakannu also criticised the classification of agricultural labourers under the above poverty line category.
Mr. H. Mahadevan, deputy general secretary, AITUC, in his inaugural address, said the liberalisation policies of the Centre affected crores of employees in various sectors.
Stressing the need for reforms with a human face, he said the Centre's policies were actually resulting in largescale unemployment as the country moved towards a capital-oriented industrial structure.
Mr. Mahadevan criticised the attempts at introducing drastic reforms and downsizing of the Railways, public sector units and other government departments. The Government was also keen on pushing through changes in the labour laws aimed at stifling the rights of working class.
Dr. S.C. Krishnan, State president, AITUC, spoke.
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