Mamata announces Chakka Jam programme during PM's visit

Kolkata, Jul 8 (UNI) All India Trinamool Congress(AITC) will organise "Chakka Jam" agitational programme during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's one-day visit to the city on July eleven to protest abnormal hike in prices of essential commodities, Party supremo Mamata Banerjee announced here today.

Speaking to newsmen after addressing a party workers' meet, Ms Banerjee said the one-hour agitational programme, to be organised simultaneously all across the city and in neighbouring Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia districts from 12-00 noon, would primarily be held to draw the attention of the Prime minister towards the ground reality in the state.

"But we do not want to jeopardise his tour by any means because of the Chakka Jam programme," Ms Banerjee emphasised and denied having any programme to meet the Prime Minister during his visit.

Quoting from the latest government figures, she claimed that during the past few months the prices of flour had gone up by 30 per cent and that of sugar by 49 per cent, of Dal by a record 62.5 per cent, of vegetables by 30 per cent and that of petroleum products by a record 49 per cent, hitting the common public hard.

She was also very critical about the state government's process of industrial rejuvenation, but said though her party was not against the industrialisation of West Bengal in general but was against the policy of doing it in lieu of farm land.

As a result every year about 50,000 hectares of farm land were being taken away from hapless farmers for setting up industry in West Bengal, Ms Banerjee alleged and lodged her strong protest on the government policy.

"Our Chakka Jam programme would also protest against such policy", she reaffirmed.

Ms Banerjee also announced her party's decision to hold organisational elections from booth to district level in phases throughout the state from July 21 to November 15.

This was aimed at completely revamping the party from the grass root level, she pointed out replying to a related query.

More than 5,000 AITC workers from all over the state participated in the day long meet, which was also attended by senior party leaders like Former union minister Ajit Kumar Panja, Opposition leader in state Assembly Partha Chatterjee and several former MLAs like Mr Saugata Roy and Sanjay Bakshi.

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