CPM activists burn copies of four Bills passed by Centre in Hoshiarpur
Say Central government had abolished 29 labour laws
On a call of the Left parties, leaders and workers of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Marxist, staged a protest in Garhshankar by burning copies of four Bills passed by the Central Government, alleging that these laws were anti-labour, anti-farmer and against the interests of the poor people.
Addressing protesters, CPI district secretary and state secretariat member Gurnek Bhajjal, state committee member Darshan Singh Mattu, tehsil secretary and CITU leaders Mahinder Kumar Badoan, and Subhash Mattu said, “Ever since the Modi-led government came to power, continuous attacks have been launched on workers, farmers and minorities.” They alleged that the four Bills passed in Parliament were against workers, farmers and the common people.
The leaders said the Central Government had abolished 29 labour laws and merged the remaining ones into four labour codes. They further alleged that the MGNREGA scheme had been renamed and its budget slashed by Rs 10,000 crore even before end of the current financial year, which adversely affected the livelihood of labourers. They also criticised the increase in working hours to 12 hours and said the powers of labour courts had been curtailed.
Speaking on the proposed Electricity Bill 2025, the leaders said after its implementation, chip-based smart meters would be installed, leading to an increase in power tariffs. They warned that free electricity units currently being provided may also be discontinued in the future.
The CPI leaders cautioned the Central Government that if the four “anti-people” Bills were not withdrawn, the party would intensify its struggle at the national, state and district levels. They said workers and farmers would unite to oppose these policies.
