CPM opposes HP Government's retention policy

Shimla, Sep 18 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh unit of the CPM today opposed the state government's retention policy announced for Shimla town and other areas merged with it recently, saying it was against the interest of the common man.

''People residing on the periphery of the town will have to pay a huge sum of money under the policy, which was discriminatory,'' party's state secretariat member Sanjay Chauhan said in a release here.

Accusing the state government of providing benefits to the rich, the influential and the builders under the scheme, he said this was an attempt to discourage the common man from building their houses, while promoting the builders on the other hand.

Mr Chauhan said since a large number of people who are to benefit from the policy were employees and petty businessmen, it would be in the fitness of things to review the policy in their interest.

Despite being very close to the Shimla Municipal Corporation areas, the merged areas had been denied even the basic necessities like electricity, water, sewerage system, he said, adding that this was proof that the government was only concerned about generating revenue instead of developing the areas.

The CPM leader claimed that several hundred thousand ruprees collected by the government under the previous retention policies were still lying unused after so many years.

The policy should be reviewed forthwith, he said, while demanding a uniform retention policy for the merged areas.

UNI AS HS VN SK BD1946