'The Claims of Development of Central and State Government and its Reality’

Under the auspices of SUCI (Communist) Patna District Committee a discussion was held on the topic of 'The Claims of Development of Central and State Government and its Reality’ on 16^th July, 2011 at IMA Hall, Patna. Initiating the discussion Prof. Vinay Kumar Kanth said: “Development should be associated with justice. It should not be viewed in GDP only, but also in poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and political freedom.” Discussing on different concepts came after 2nd world war he said the concepts of increase in the rate of growth had already been discarded in seven tees. Development should be permanent and in favour of the majority of the people.

Discussing on the topic Amitabh Chatterjee, Editorial Staff, Bengali Weekly Ganadabi and Member, West Bengal State Committee, SUCI (Communist) said: “Both Central and State government are playing the drums of development and talking of the rapid escalation of GDP, but the majority of the people are reeling under skyrocketing price hike. People’s cultural and moral standard is declining. The incidents of suicides among peasants and workers are increasing.” Development meant we should have sufficient food, homes for shelter, employment, education for children and treatment in illness. But today opening of shopping malls, construction of flyovers and four lane roads are termed as the criteria of development. Even after 64 years of independence if majority of students living in villages do not get education, workers do not get jobs daily, he added. He wondered what kind of that development was and it was for whom. He suggested to see and judge the development on the basis of class outlook in a class divided society and the society based on exploitation.
Presiding over the programme Arun Kumar Singh, Senior State Committee Member, SUCI (Communist) said: “ On the one hand 77 per cent of the people in the country are compelled to live on Rs 20 per day and the total assets of top 100 rich people is Rs 13 lacks crore, which is equal to one fourth of Country’s GDP. The government has provided Rs 2 lacks crore as a relief package to the capitalists where as the subsidies on petro products and food items are being cut down and consequently their prices are going up.” Discussing on the anti people measures taken by state government he said the Nitish government had started the process of globalization, liberalization and privatization under the cover of development and good governance. So the claims of both the governments are hollow and baseless, he added.

Among others who took part in the discussion were Prof. Devendra Prasad, Prof. Santosh Kumar, Dr. Arvind Sinha, Meera Dutta and Indira Lakshmi. Philip Manthra, Prof. Dezy Narain, Prof. R B Singh, Ram Chandra Lal Das, Priyadarshi and Rupesh Kumar, R N Jha, Narendra Kumar and Sadhana Mishra were present among others on this occasion.

Nitish government wants to bring darkness to its citizens

Patna, July 19:

SUCI (Communist) condemned the proposal of electricity department to dissolve Bihar State Electricity Board. Protesting against this move the SUCI (Communist) Patna District Committee burnt the effigy of the proposal at Patna Jn. Roundabout on Tuesday. After burning the effigy a street corner meeting was held.

Addressing the meeting the speakers referred the pitiable condition of the states where Electricity Act 2003 had been adopted. In its consequence electricity had been privatized, tariffs had been increased exorbitantly and electricity had gone out of the reach of the common consumers. The workers and employees had been retrenched. ‘’ The state government claiming development and good governance following the same anti people policies of Congress led central government. The Nitish government wants to bring darkness to its citizens already reeling under acute poverty, unemployment and price rise,’’ they added. They further added that the power tariff would be eight to ten times costlier and this burden would have to bear the poor people of the state. After dissolution of the Board, under the anti employees policy no permanent recruitment would be done. It would be done on the basis of contract. The speakers demanded the cabinet of Nitish Kumar to discard this anti people and anti employee move of electricity department. They urged the common people in general and electricity consumers in particular to come forward and develop mass movement against this anti people proposal.

The meeting was addressed by Shiwlal Prasad, Manikant Pathak, both senior State Committee Members, Sadhana Mishra, Secretary, Patna District Committee, SUCI (Communist).