The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Dasgupta cautions against fuel price increase

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Thursday, May 29, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Dasgupta cautions against fuel price increase

Staff Reporter

People were not able to bear the soaring prices of essential commodities

Coimbatore: The Communist Party of India (CPI) will oppose any move by the Central Government to increase petroleum price, party’s MP and All-India general secretary of the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Gurdas Dasgupta said here on Tuesday.

He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the third State Conference of the Tamil Nadu Construction Workers Sangham. Mr. Dasgupta said that the people were not able to bear the soaring prices of essential commodities and increasing inflation triggered by the marginal hike in petroleum products some time back. If the Government planned to increase the prices by Rs. 10 to Rs. 17 as per reports, inflation, which was at 7.81 per cent, would rise further and people would be seriously affected with prices of essential commodities going up further, he pointed out.

‘A negative vote’

On the Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections, he said it was not a positive vote for the BJP but a negative one arising out of the failure of the Congress-led Government to deliver the goods. On Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray’s tirade against north Indians, he said India belongs to India and there was no Bengali, Malayali, Tamilian or Maharashtrian; those attempting at fragmentation would be viewed as anti-nationals and enemies of the nation.

When asked about any concrete steps to oust the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government out of power (referring to his speech at the public meeting on Monday), Mr. Dasgupta said that the trade unions had called for a Bharath bandh on August 20 and something would emerge out of that and any decisions would be taken thereafter.

Earlier, addressing the conference, Mr. Dasgupta said that time has come for waging a struggle for a change of Government, social order and economic order in India. Since there was a need for a battle to demand improved wages, better living standards and working conditions, he urged the workers to come out to the streets, to effect a change of Government at the Centre, since it had failed to fulfil the aspirations of the poor and working class.

Unbearable increase in the prices of all essential commodities affected the common man and the collapse of the Public Distribution System in the country led to black marketing and hoarding. Mr. Dasgupta said that it was a tragedy that those who were constructing huge buildings had no roof to live under. Despite making huge profits, the booming construction sector was not willing to share the profit with the workers, he lamented.

Minister’s assurance

Rural Industries Minister, the Government of Tamil Nadu, Pongalur N. Palanisamy promised to look into the demands put forth by the conference. The State had disbursed more than Rs 46 crore spent by the board for the construction workers welfare.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government on assuming power had formed 15 welfare boards and had sanctioned Rs 1.35 crore this month for the welfare of the construction workers.

Members of the various trade unions led by AITUC numbering more than 100 were removed by the police when they staged a demonstration demanding the re-opening of the Sri Sarada Mills of the National Textile Corporation at Sundapuram in the city. The demonstrators were led by Mr. Dasgupta and AITUC vice-president and former MP, Parvathy Krishnan.

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