CPM takes to streets, demands subsidised wheat, rice for poor

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 20

Workers of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) today staged a protest in the state capital and other district headquarters and accused the state Congress government and the NDA government at the Centre of not providing relief to poor and needy persons who continued to face hardships due to demonetisation even after three months.

CPM leaders, including Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar and Vijender Mehra, staged a protest in front of the DC’s office, while others, led by Dr Kuldip Tanwar, Falma Chauhan, Stayavan Pundir and others, protested in front of the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation MD’s office at Kasumpati and submitted a memorandum to the government.

They demanded that the state government should restore the atta quota to the APL families in the state. All families should get 35 kg of ration with wheat at Rs 2 per kg and rice at Rs 5.30 per kg every month.

They also demanded that state Food and Civil Supplies Corporation should provide wheat, pulses, cooking oil and LPG gas, iodised salts at all ration shops every month to card holders.

Addressing workers, Dr Tanwar charged that the NDA government had stopped “atta quota for the state’s APL families, but the state Congress government failed to compensate the APL families for this.

The Shivratri festival is around, but the state government has not stocked the susbsidized “gur” (jaggery) and refined oil used in cooking of special dishes to people of the state, he pointed out.

Vijender Mehra termed the NDA government as anti-farmers and anti-workers as the Modi government’s demonetisation policy had hit them badly.

There was a 40 per cent slump in markets due to demonetisation and a large number of workers were rendered jobless in the state, he claimed.