Gurudas Dasgupta criticises UPA policies

Kottayam, Jan 24 (UNI) AITUC general secretary and MP Gurudas Dasgupta, today criticised economic, liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation policies pursued by the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.

Inaugurating the 14th state conference of the Kerala Electricity Workers Federation here he said the AITUC would strongly oppose such policies as they were detrimental to the interest of the poor, unemployed, farmers and the nation.

Charging the Union Government with scrupuiously pursuing the policies of the previous BJP-led NDA government, the trade union leader said, the policies would be beneficial only to the rich and corporates.

Criticising the move to implement the Electricity Act, he said that if the Act was implemented, power would become dearer.

''We need cheap power to change the face of Indian civilisation.

As private sector cannot guarantee cheap power, generation of power should be handled by the public sector only,'' he asserted.

The AITUC would fight to protect the public sector and stoutly oppose privatisation, he reiterated.

Taking exception to the reduction of customs duty on certain items, he said it would attract import and affect the domestic industry and the workers. Unemployment would be further aggravated as a result of it, he added.

Mr Dasgupta said the decision to set up special economic zones was against the law.

It would endanger sovereignty of the country. The rich would become richer and the poor poorer as a result of the economic reforms, he said adding that AITUC would firmly oppose it.

The three-day state conference would conclude on January 25.

UNI