CPI(M) to launch movement ; rule out airport privatisation

Kolkata, May 28 (UNI) The CPI(M) would launch a joint countrywide movement with non-communal democratic parties against the proposed hike in prices of petroleum products and essentials and categorically ruled out the privatisation of airport.

The party in its Polit Bureau meeting, which concluded here today, decided that a detailed programme for the proposed movement would be worked out at a meeting with other Left parties in New Delhi on June One, and simultaneously it would send feelers to other non-communal democratic parties in this regard.

''We will talk to all political parties to launch a concerted countrywide movement against the proposed rise in prices of petroleum products, which would have a cascading effect on the prices of all essentials. We are contacting all the parties and confident that they would join us, '' CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat stated.

He said the proposed meeting would also take up for discussion a few other issues on which the Left parties differed with the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre.

Dismissing the privatisation of airport, Mr Karat demanded that the Airport Authority of India (AAI) should be entrusted with the task of modernising the existing airport under its jurisdiction.

He ruled out any attempt to hand over the airport to private hands, stating that the AAI had reserved fund of Rs 3000 crore and it was fully competent to take up any such scheme.

Expressing serious concern at the increasing prices of essentials, Mr Karat said the prices of all essential commodities, including medicine, sugar, cement and kerosene, had jacked up causing immense hardship to the commoners.

He said the party had observed that the government had failed to deal with the situation and instead it was smug that the rate of inflation had come down to four per cent.

'' It is in this context that the deterioration of Public Distribution System (PDS) is affecting the people. The UPA government-set limit for the distribution of BPL cards in the state has no relation with the number of poor people, '' Mr Karat iterated.

UNI KDG SJC/src1751