Communists refuted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that the UPA government had completed three-fourths of the commitments in the common minimum program
Taran Mukhia
Oct. 11, 2005

India’s communists popularly know as the left parties came out with a statement that they do not agree with India’s Prime Minister claims.

The Left parties refuted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that the UPA government had completed three-fourths of the commitments in the common minimum program (CMP) within 16 months of its coming to power, saying the facts ran contrary to the assertion.

CPI general secretary A B Bardhan and CPM politburo member M K Pandhe said Singh's claim was far from the truth as a number of promises and commitments, including the provision of social security to over 370 million unorganised workers and 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies, were yet to be implemented.

The Prime Minister had, on the concluding day of the Congress Chief ministers'' conclave in Chandigarh on Saturday, said that his government had implemented nearly three-fourths of the commitments in the CMP and underscored the party's contribution in bringing bank the nation to the ''''politics of moderation'''' and the ''''economics of equality and development''''.

''''We don''t agree with his assertion. Indeed a lot of things have to be accomplished as yet,'''' the Left leaders told UNI.

They said while the government had implemented the National Rural Employment Scheme, even though in a diluted form, and passed the right to information act, a lot more needed to be done, bringing key legislations like the Women's Reservation Bill and the Tribal Rights Bill.

Also changes need to be made in the labour laws to ensure that there is no ''hire and fire'' policy and the public distribution system needs to be strengthened.

Bardhan and Pandhe stressed that the people at large were ''''not happy'''' with the government's performance. ''''You can see how the prices of petrol and diesel have been repeatedly hiked, subsidy on certain food grains distributed through the PDS have been withdrawn or lessened, while on the other items there is a move to do away with the subsidy altogether.''''

CPI national secretary D Raja deplored that the Prime Minister had not given ''''the real picture'''' about the quality of life of the man-in-the-street. ''''The issue merits national debate. The move to privatise water and electricity and the hike in their rates have further angered the people.''''

Communists refuted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that the UPA government had completed three-fourths of the commitments in the common minimum program
Taran Mukhia
...facts ran contrary to the assertion....
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