CPM criticises UPA's SEZ policy

Mumbai, Aug 21: CPM general secretary Prakash Karat today criticised the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) policy of the UPA Government saying the Centre will incur heavy losses due to tax waivers to such units.

''At present, 150 SEZs have been sanctioned and according to the Centre there are 300 more such proposals in the pipeline. By transfering land from farmers to huge companies and not levying taxes, a state within a state is being created. SEZ policy is actually land reforms in the reverse,'' Mr Karat said while addressing a meeting of CPM cadre in Mumbai.

''The original owners of the land, the farmers, do not get alternate land, inadequate compensation and no employment avenues.

CPM is in the midst of preparing a document on the SEZ policy and will submit it to the Centre soon. Surplus and waste land which is being given to real estate developers should stop,'' he added.

Mr Karat said the key to the CPM's success of ruling West Bengal for 29 years was the land reforms it implemented by distributing land to 75 lakh landless farmers.

He complemented the Tamil Nadu government's decision to give two acres of waste land to landless farmers and said that even surplus land should be given to landless farmers as well as labourers.

He said transfer of land to capitalists in such a manner was a cause of concern to his party.

Mr Karat said due to land reforms in West Bengal, agriculture production has grown and the state was leading in rice, vegetable and potato production. There can be economic growth and development by empowering landless farmers and labourers, he stressed. The CPM leader stated that there was a move to hike the prices of petrol and diesel for the sixth time in two and half years of the UPA rule.

He asked the Centre to revise petrol prices, regularise future trading and levy taxes on litre basis rather than the prices.

''We will pressurise the government to first consider our proposals before going ahead with its proposed move to hike the petrol and diesel prices in September,'' he added.

Criticising Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's decision to import 35 lakh tonnes of wheat, Mr Karat said such policies were killing India's food security. ''The government imports wheat but is not willing to hike the procurement price for farmers in the country. This is a systematic move to destroy the Public Distribution System (PDS),'' he added.

Mr Karat noted that prices of food items which are available with the PDS has only gone up.

Opposing any move to bring amendments to the Right to Information Act, Mr Karat said it was only through file notings that the people would get to know how SEZs are sanctioned and how Enron got the contract for energy production.

Mr Karat said his party was of the view that quotas in higher educational institutions should be implemented by increasing the number of seats in the general category. At the same time, he said the government should also bring legislation to regulate and control admissions and pattern of fees in private educational institutions.

He criticised the Congress for not acting as a responsible opposition party in BJP ruled states where minorities are treated as second class citizens.

Mr Karat criticised the UPA for taking forward the pro-American stand of the previous NDA government in foreign policy issues. ''Former PM A B Vajpayee had declared the U.S as our natural ally and former Dy PM L K Advani had gone forward and visited the CIA headquarters. Even the present regime is continuing the pro-American stand deviating from the independent foreign policy stand taken by the previous Congress governments,'' he lamented.

Referring to the Indo-US nuclear co-operation, Mr Karat said the deal is not just about nuclear energy co-operation. ''By opposing the deal and demanding debate on the issue does not mean we are not trusting the PM,'' he said.

Mr Karat mentioned that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's speech in the Rajya Sabha on the issue was exhaustive. He has assured that the government will not deviate from the July 18, 2005, statement.

''The government has to be cautious and not sign till the final legislation which takes shape is seen,'' he added.

Mr Karat said there can be no compromise on his party's ideology to oppose capitalism tooth and nail.

He also asked the government to introduce the 33 per cent women's reservation bill in the Parliament. ''Let people know which parties oppose and support the bill. Let there be a debate and vote in both the houses,'' he demanded.

Stating that a new alternative was necessary, Mr Karat said it was not happening. ''A new alternative can take shape only through struggle and more efforts,'' he added.

UNI