Withdrawal of support to govt not warranted now: CPI

Puducherry, Feb 5: The Puducherry unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) today ruled out withdrawing support to the Congress Government in the Union Territory.

Addressing a news conference here CPI state secretary Na Ra Kalainathan said the party had extended its support to ensure that a secular and stable government would come to power. He said the Congress had failed to fulfill the election agreement with the party.

''There will be certain drawbacks in every government and it is the duty of the allies to point it out. The withdrawal of support to the government is not warranted at this juncture, '' he added.

Mr Kalainathan said at the time of Assembly elections, the Congress had signed an agreement to provide one nominated member to the territorial assembly and a post of chairman of a government board or corporation after the elections.

The original copy of the agreement signed by PCC President P Shanmugham was with him, he said adding despite two or three reminders to Mr Shanmugham as well as to Chief Minister N Rangasamy the matter was not yet settled.

Stating that Mr Shanmugham had the responsibility to protect the coalition ethics, Mr Kalainathan said the party High Command had already taken up the matter with the AICC. For the past eight months, the government was not attentive to the views of the party, he charged.

Mr Kalainathan said the party was demanding setting up of a coordination committee comprising the DMK, PMK and CPI and added that it would continue to press the demand. Many of the schemes announced on the Floor of the Assembly remained unimplemented in the absence of a coordination committee, he added. Mr Kalainathan said the party was pained to note the achievements of the government in the Lt Governor's message during the Republic Day function, as many of the schemes enlisted really were not implemented.

He also said the Chief Minister, at a recent government function, had stated that top officials were hindering the implementation of the schemes and added that ''if Mr Rangasamy dares to announce the names of the officials hindering the implementation of the schemes, the party would organise agitations infront of their offices. The efforts of the government to escape by blaming the officials is a wrong approach,'' he said.

The party would organise agitations on March nine and ten in Karaikal and Puducherry regions respectively to protest against the anti-labour policy of the government and the reluctancy on the part of the Central and state governments in implementing welfare schemes.

He also demanded a White Paper from the government on the spending of the funds meant for the tsunami rehabilitations and also that the government should drop the proposal to set up special economic zones by acquiring fertile pieces of land.

Stating that the real estate business is flourishing here, he said an acre of land is being sold for Rs 50 to 60 lakh at Sivaranthagam, and Khorakad. He urged the administration to introduce a bill imposing a ban on the sale of fertile pieces of land for the next 15 to 20 years.

The Puducherry edition of the party organ ''Jana Sakthi'' will be released here tomorrow, he added.

UNI