FOR THE PEOPLE: CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat addressing a public meeting in Hyderabad on Wednesday. — Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD: CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Wednesday accused the Centre and some State Governments of pursuing land reforms in "reverse gear" taking away land from the poor farmers and handing it over to big companies.

Addressing a public meeting organised as part of the party's nationwide campaign against the `anti- people policies of the UPA Government,' he referred to the controversy surrounding the Outer Ring Road and said his party would counter and stop such skewed land development model that was based on "looting" of land from the poor.

Left model

A similar model was being pursued by Karnataka and other states. In sharp contrast, effective land reforms were key to success of the Left Front Government in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. The party had suggested bringing down Central taxes on fuel and abolition of futures trading in commodities to hold the price line but there was no response from the Centre. It wants to import 35 lakh tonnes of wheat, cut subsidy on food and dilute public distribution system (PDS).

"We have no option but to agitate on such issues", he added.

One of the 13 suggestions the party made for mobilising resources was to tax the rich and foreign investment in stocks but again the Centre lacked the political will. Even in cases where there was no financial commitment involved like passage of Women's Reservation Bill, the Centre was dithering.

CPI(M) state secretary B. V. Raghavulu warned of paralysing the cities and towns, if the State Government continued with its present land policy.

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