CPM seeks peoples' mandate against government's retention policy

Shimla, May 20 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh unit of the CPM today sought peoples' mandate against the state government's recently announced retention policy, saying all houses should be regularised on the 'as it is where is basis''.

In the seven retention policies announced by the successive state governments in the last 10 years, it has done little for the benefit of the people then imposing huge penalties for legalising their constructions, party's Shimla district secretary Sanjay Chauhan said here.

He opposed the state government's decision to impose 18 per cent tax from all the houses in the newly merged areas in the Shimla Municipal Corporation from August 23, 2008.

The tax collection from the newly merged areas should only be done after 10 years after creating the necessary basic infrastructure, he said.

Mr Chauhan said even the collections from these areas were spent elsewhere then in development the newly merged areas, which were included in the corporation despite opposition from the residents.

Meanwhile, state party secretary Rakesh Singha addressing election meetings at Patiyog, Chotta Shimla, Chamyana and Malayana wards, urged the people to reject both the Congress and the BJP for following the ruinous liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation (LPG) policies.

The policies were against the interest of the vast section of the society and favoured a small section, he said.

State Secretariat members Tikender Singh Panwar, Sanjay Chauhan and Onkar Shad also were addressing rallies in various wards of the town, a party release here said.

UNI