The Hindu : Front Page : UDF defends its call for Tuesday’s hartal

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UDF defends its call for Tuesday’s hartal

Special Correspondent

Opposition blames LDF government for price rise
Says no such price rise in neighbouring States

Thiruvananthapuram: The United Democratic Front (UDF), on Saturday, made it clear that it would stick to its call for the February 19 hartal, as the State government had failed to tackle rise in prices of essential commodities and address other issues that affected the common man.

At a press conference here, P.P. Thankachan, convener of the front, said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government could not conceal its inefficiency and ineptitude by putting the blame on the Centre for the price rise. Ration allocation for the State was cut owing to a fall in the off-take of rice from the public distribution system (PDS).

He said the government had failed to come up with any market intervention programme to curb prices. The neighbouring States did not witness the kind of price rise that Kerala had witnessed. This was because the government had almost wrecked the PDS.

Set example, State told

The Left parties, he said, have called for a strike because of the increase in petrol and diesel prices. But they are criticising the UDF for calling a hartal to protest against the more than 100 per cent increase in prices of essential commodities. The Left parties have demanded that the Centre cut taxes to reduce the burden on people. The UDF’s demand is that the Left front set an example and take the initiative to reduce State levies on petrol and diesel to cushion the price increase.

Mr. Thankachan maintained that the hartal had no political intentions. There was also no basis to the charge that the Centre was neglecting the State. The United Progressive Alliance government had been taking favourable decisions in clearing major projects, such as Vallarpadam.

The UDF strongly condemned the State government action in announcing a public holiday in Kottayam on account of the rally on the concluding of the State conference of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). This was the first time that a public holiday was being declared to suit the interests of a particular party.

HMT deal

The UDF demanded a judicial investigation into the financial and administrative irregularities in the HMT land deal. The decision to seek the Advocate-General’s advice over and above the reports of the Law Secretary, the District Collector and the Chief Secretary was intended to delay the process and help party bigwigs escape. The government had the responsibility of ordering a judicial investigation to clear suspicions against its own Ministers.

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