Cadres of the CPI (M) organised a demonstration here on Tuesday unequivocally condemning the alleged move of the Central government to hand over the control of national assets to private players and its “slackness” in dealing with the ripple effects of coronavirus lockdown.
The party activists took part in the demonstration by holding placards at the Dharna Chowk as part of the nation-wide stir called by the party leadership. CPI (M) State secretariat member P. Sudarshan Rao and district secretary N. Nageswara Rao led the protest.
Addressing the protesters, Mr Sudarshan Rao slammed the BJP-led Central government for aggressively pursuing “privatisation policies” in these unprecedented times of COVID-19.
The Centre is going ahead with its unilateral move to privatise the Public Sector Units (PSUs) in vital sectors such as coal, power, insurance and civil aviation, he charged terming the Centre’s ₹20-lakh crore economic stimulus package as a “farce.”
“The hasty imposition of countrywide lockdown without proper planning had left crores of migrant workers and other hapless labourers of unorganised sector in penury,” he flayed.
Mr. Nageswara Rao demanded that the MGNREGS be extended to urban poor and the working days under the scheme be increased to 200 days, a monthly allowance of ₹ 3000 per month be disbursed among the unemployed youths, adequate financial assistance be provided to all poor people to mitigate their woes.