Left wants UPA government to adhere to CMP

Bangalore, Jun 19: Accusing the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre of pursuing anti-people's policies, the Communist Party of India (CPI) today demanded that it go in for a 'midcourse correction' to ensure proper implementation of the mutually-accepted Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

Addressing a press conference here, Party National Secretary D Raja, also member of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee, said ''the Left parties extended outside support to the UPA goveernment based on the CMP and the Centre should not take it for granted.'' He said the Left had submitted a 21-point note to the UPA government on the policies it had to move forward and corrective measures to be taken to get back to the CMP. It had also expressed concern over certain policies being adopted by the Centre as it was against the interests of poor and disadvantaged section of the society, he added.

Mr Raja informed that during the recent UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting, the Left had expressed its displeasure over the Centre going ahead with Foreign Direct Investment in private retail trade sector, oil price hike and privatisation of airports and seaports, despite its strong opposition to it.

Welcoming the Centre's move to reserve 27 per cent seats for Other Backward Classes in higher education, he said it should bring in an amendment to Article 15 of the Constitution in the coming monsoon session of Parliament to ensure that reservation was implemented from the next academic year itself.

He said the government should also ensure that the 'Oversight Committee,' headed by Veerappa Moily, constituted to go into the reservation issue, did not delay the process.

Mr Raja said the Left was against any amendment to the Labour laws as it would affect the interests of the workers in both the organised and unorganised sector.

UNI