CPM call to Oppose Land Bill

Visakhapatnam: The historic 21st congress of the CPI (M) ended with the top leaders giving a call for unity of the Left democratic forces to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Land Bill at Ramakrishna Beach where half a million peoplerepre senting various States congregated on Sunday evening. The newly elected general secretary Sitaram Yechury spoke on how the Modi government was all set to destroy the social fabric of the country.

The 21st Congress of CPI (M) strongly condemned the cold blooded murder of 20 migrant workers, including 13 tribals from Tamil Nadu by the Andhra Pradesh police in Seshachalam forests.The resolution said the State government which failed to check smuggling and illegal trade in red sanders in the Sechachalam forests by taking firm action against the smugglers and illegal traders, most of whom have close links with the top political leaders of the State, had resorted to brutal killing of the workers.

The congress demanded an inquiry into the incident and compensation to the families of those killed. The resolution also demanded punishment to the police officials involved in these killings.In another resolution, the party demanded that the Central Government fulfill the commitments made to ensure the special status to Andhra Pradesh and deliver the special packages promised to the two States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

During the discussion on the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganization Bill, the UPA Government – and the former Prime Minister himself -- promised to provide the special packages to the two States. BJP leaders who were then in the Opposition promised an even better package if they were voted to power, the resolution said.

The BJP reiterated its promises after it formed the Government. Andhra Pradesh was promised funds for the development of backward regions such as North Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, for meeting the revenue deficit in the budget, for special status for industrial areas, construction of new educational and health institutions, construction of a new capital, new railway zone and steel plant for Rayalaseema.

Telangana was promised 4000 MW of power, a steel plant in Khammam, and institutions of higher education. Important multi-purpose projects in North Andhra and Rayalaseema and the Pranahita-Chevella project in Telangana should be taken up on a priority basis as national projects and completed at the earliest, the leaders said in the resolution.One year after the formation of these two States, the promised special packages have not been delivered.

On the contrary, BJP ministers have been making contradictory statements regarding these commitments, making it clear that the promised packages were only rhetoric promises made to secure votes and not a serious commitment to the development of backward regions. It should be remembered here that one of the reasons for the demand for a separate State was the backwardness of specific regions covered by the erstwhile United Andhra Pradesh.

Hence the issue of the backwardness of North Andhra, Rayalaseema, and the districts of Telangana should be addressed seriously. The state governments in Andhra Pradesh led by the TDP and in Telangana led by the TRS are not putting pressure on the Government of India to implement these packages, even though the TDP is a participant in the Central Government.The resolution demanded that the commitments made for special packages to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana be fulfilled without any further delay.