ANDHRA PRADESH: CPI (M) WANTS CBI PROBE INTO YSR GOVT LAND DEALS

THE ongoing probe by CBI into shady corporate investments in Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's companies must be extended to cover all the land deals made during the chief ministerial tenure of his father, late Y S Rajashekar Reddy, in order to understand the quid pro quo of such investments, demanded the CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh state secretary B V Raghavulu.

Addressing a media conference at M B Bhavan on August 3 to brief about the deliberations of the state secretariat meeting held on the same day, Raghavulu found fault with the cabinet ministers now blaming Y S Rajashekar Reddy for the illegal allotments of land. “Would these Congress ministers then accept, by the same yardstick, that it is the prime minister Manmohan Singh who must be held responsible for the 2G scam and not A Raja?” The CPI (M) leader reminded the media how the CPI (M) had been from the beginning demanding a thorough inquiry into crony allotments of land by the then YSR government. It had even sought a House Committee probe to go into this issue.

It may be noted that responding to AP High Court’s recent order, the state government has ordered a CBI inquiry into the investments made in Jaganmohan Reddy's companies that included the media group Sakshi and a cement company. The CBI interviewed representatives of corporate groups that bought shares of Jagan companies at huge premium even before they had begun operations. It submitted an interim report to the High Court and sought further time to thoroughly probe into these investments.

In this context the CPI(M) has demanded that the state government must bring out a white paper on all land deals during YSR regime and that CBI must probe these land deals also as they were interlinked to the channeling of funds into Jagan's companies. Raghavulu asserted that the entire cabinet is responsible for the illegal deeds done during the tenure of YSR headed government.

On the controversy regarding conducting of examination for recruitment to Sub Inspector of Police posts on August 13, Raghavulu demanded that the exam be postponed till the clause 14 (f) is removed from the Presidential Order. This clause makes Hyderabad a free zone in recruitment to police posts while in all other recruitments Hyderabad is treated as a separate zone with people from this region getting preference in appointments. The state assembly had passed a unanimous resolution in March 2010 requesting the central government to get the 14 (f) clause removed. Now union minister Chidambaram has asked for another resolution to be passed by the state assembly given the 'changed situation' in the state. Raghavulu decried this stand and charged that the central government is trying to create rupture in the state on this issue. He demanded both the state and central governments to clarify as to who is responsible for the delay in acting on the state assembly resolution. At least now the clause must be deleted and only then examination must be held, said Raghavulu. The Telangana Joint Action Committee and TRS have announced that they would obstruct the holding of the exam by any means.

Raghavulu also announced that the state secretariat discussed about the serious problems facing the people of the state and expressed concern at the total apathy of the state government in dealing with these problems. The health situation in many areas of the state is grim with people falling prey to diarrhea, fevers etc. The CPI(M) is conducting health camps in many districts and the gravity is such that in one of the camps in the agency areas of Vishakapatnam district, nearly 800 people attended the health camp. The government's apathy is such that when the CPI(M) approached it to provide medicines for the camps it is conducting, it declined. Raghavulu demanded that the health minister must resign if he can’t deliver.

The issues of hike in property taxes in cities and towns, the problems of sharecroppers etc were also discussed in the secretariat meeting. A programme of action on these demands is being chalked out, he said.

(INN)

Courtesy: People’s Democracy

ANDHRA PRADESH: UNCERTAIN SITUATION PREVAILS

Telakapally Ravi

THE Congress leadership, both at the centre and in Andhra Pradesh, is back to playing its old tricks of divide and rule. It is carrying on a marathon inner party ‘discussion process’ on the Telangana issue, which is mainly for public consumption. Several bigwigs of the party have made contradictory and slippery statements on the future of the state in the past two weeks giving signals that they are in no mood to clinch this festering issue. Its legislators have been singing their regional tunes to the best of their ability. Ironically, the TDP is following suit with its leaders also raising their voices region wise.

TRS, which is spearheading the movement for separate Telangana state, is caught on the horns of a dilemma because its prediction of an imminent crisis in the ruling party with the resignations of its elected representatives fromTelangana region did not come true. On the contrary, the Congress high command has reacted nonchalantly to this development and came out with many crucial comments debunking the unfounded hopes of the TRS. Actually, TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao had announced in the Telangana Congress leaders dharna that he had signals from Delhi about a positive decision on Telangana within two weeks. This was rebuffed instantly as Congress general secretary incharge of Andhra Pradesh, Ghulam Nabi Azad announced that a minimum period of two months is required for completing discussions within Congress on this issue. He would submit a report to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at the end of these discussions. What would happen after that is anyone’s guess. The Congress leader further made a comment that a resolution of the state assembly is essential to take any decision on the Telangana issue. He also reminded about the centuries old brotherhood of Telugu people and wished it would continue for many more centuries! Union home minister P Chidambaram went a step ahead and asserted that this issue cannot be solved until all parties arrive at a consensus. In the present situation where there is no unanimity even within the political parties, this looks a tall order or a vain tactic.

Meanwhile, there has been so much artificial raising of tempers in all the regions that at one stage TDP president Chandrababu Naidu had to publicly pull up his leaders for their provocative remarks. With the resignations of its Telangana region MLAs, the TDP felt emboldened to enter Telagana political arena which was hitherto almost barred to it. But it soon was neutralised by the stance and provocative remarks of its leaders in the other regions.

While all the signals from the centre point to the continuation of the stalemate, TRS, JAC and other Telangana forces are mulling their strategies. The JAC chairman went on record that the centre appears to be opposed to Telangana. The en masse rejection of resignations of MLAs by the speaker of the state assembly hours, before he left to attend a conference in UK, added to the woes. The Congress legislators are not inclined to resign once again but TRS, TDP and JAC are pressing for the same. Even if they do resign, there is every possibility of a repetition of the earlier episode. Meanwhile, preparations are going on for a general strike in Telangana region from August 18 in which employees, teachers, doctors, lawyers, students etc are going to participate. The state government is trying to hold talks with the employees unions on this issue even as it threatened to invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act to deal with the strike. On the whole, everybody in the state is now blaming the centre for the uncertain situation prevailing in the state, and it appears quite justifiably so.

Courtesy: People’s Democracy

CITU CAMPAIGN EVOKES GOOD RESPONSE IN HYDERABAD

GRUESOME EXPLOITATION OF UNORGANISED WORKERS

J Venkatesh

THAT the contract workers and unorganised sector workers are paid less wages and do not enjoy any mandatory benefits like PF, ESI etc is well known. Even then the initial findings of a 12 day long extensive survey undertaken by the CITU Hyderabad city committee on their conditions will shock most of us. Twelve hour work is widespread; no company, including those run by the kin of famous politicians like former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and former speaker Suresh Reddy, pay minimum wages to the workers; bonuses were not given for as long as 20 years; safety standards are non-existent in most chemical and pharmaceutical companies; some home based workers are paid as low as Rs 20 for their day's toil etc.

There are around 60,000 contract workers, 20,000 headload workers (hamalis) and 10,000 home based workers employed by companies in Hyderabad city area. This is excluding the big industrial areas in the suburbs of the city. As part of the state CITU decision to increase the organisation's efforts among these workers, broadly classified under these three clusters, the Hyderabad CITU committee undertook an extensive survey from May 2 to May 13. A total of 120 activists grouped in 38 teams conducted this survey in the industrial areas of Uppal, Nacharam, Charlapally, Mallapur, Moulali, Sanatnagar, Bahadurpur, Autonagar etc. The survey covered 1400 units and 84 bustees where the workers were living. Among the units, those employing 30 workers and above comprised 250; 20 and below 350; 10 workers and below 800.

It was not an easy job for the activists in conducting this survey. Many managements prevented their entry into the factories. They threatened the workers not to speak to the activists and in fact put the workers on surveillance while they were getting off duty. In areas like Uppal, Nacharam, Charlapally where CITU has good presence, there were fewer problems in conducting the survey. They spoke to workers during lunch break or while they finished their duty. In other areas, the activists spoke to the workers in detail in their living places. The workers too shook off their fears after the initial two days and poured out their grievances.

As per the initial reading of survey data, it is found that most the workers are paid a wage of around Rs 2500 – Rs 3000 per month, much below the stipulated minimum wage of Rs 4030. In the Uppal unit of Heritage Foods, workers are being paid a monthly wage of Rs 3000 only. When the worker does not come to duty on a Sunday, his two days wages are cut! There is no single over time allowance, no holidays and no instance of paying bonus or compensation to the workers. This is the situation in a company owned and run by the wife of a former chief minister. Similarly in another dairy company, Jersey Milk Products, where also 200 workers are employed, the workers are paid a daily wage of Rs 120. In Padmaja Polymers, owned by the wife of former speaker of the assembly Suresh Reddy, the minimum wage paid is Rs 2500 to most of the workers and for some Rs 3000. In the oil mills in Bahadurpur area, where the contract workers are mostly migrant labour from Bihar and Orissa, the workers are paid a maximum of Rs 2500 per month. In all the above cases, there is no provision of weekly off, ESI facility, PF, bonus or maternity leave etc.

The nearly 20,000 headload workers in the city work in around 700 shops spread over wholesale markets like Maharajgunj, Kishangunj, Osmangunj and in wholesale fruit market in Gaddi Annaram or in the marbles market in Jubilee Hills. The survey covered all these shops and it was found that these workers are being paid a rate of Rs 30 per tonne. As per ILO norms, no worker should be made to carry more than 55 kgs. Nowhere was this being implemented as per our survey. No medical help or compensation is being provided in cases of accidents or health problems arising out of doing this heavy work. The CITU has campaigned among these workers that their rates must be raised to Rs 80 per tonne and implemented uniformly across all markets. This has found good response from the workers.

The nearly 10,000 home-based workers (around 4000 families) are working in the making of incense sticks, candles, cardboard boxes, embroidery work, bangles etc in the old city areas of Chandrayangutta, Yakutpura, Bahadurpura etc. The contractor provides them with the raw material and takes back finished goods to supply to various companies. CITU activists met with 800 of these workers and conducted the survey. After working for 8 to 12 hours a day, they are earning Rs 20 to Rs 40 per day. This is not even subsistence wage and the contractors delay the weekly payments to these workers In such a situation there is no question of expecting any facilities of identity cards, ESI, PF or bonus for these toilers. Most of them do not get work during the monsoon season. When they demand raising of the amount for each piece they make, the contractors threaten them of giving the work to some others.

ORGANISATIONAL EFFORT

The CITU conducted an intensive awareness campaign among the workers during and after the survey period. Around 70,000 pamphlets in Telugu, Hindi and Urdu were printed and distributed among the workers. Six thousand posters were pasted in the areas where the survey was conducted and 25,000 badges with demands of the workers were pinned to the workers. A total of 19 conventions were held during the campaign period, particularly among the hamalis and home based workers in which 4200 workers participated. There was enthusiastic participation of home based workers in Chandrayangutta and Yakutpura zones in the meetings held after the survey began. Padayatras, public address campaign etc were also held. Hunger strike camps were conducted in the industrial areas from May 19 to May 22 on the demands of workers. This was as a prelude to the one day strike call given on May 24 for solving of these demands. Around 3500 strike notices were served to the managements. The strike evoked good response in the industrial areas where CITU has good presence with many factories forced to close for the day.

The detailed planning of the CITU city committee and regular review of its implementation has contributed to the success of this cluster campaign. Twice extended meetings of the CITU city committee, extended meetings of 16 zonal committees resulted in mobilising cadre in 92 divisions of the city in participating in the campaign. This effort of CITU needs to be consolidated in the coming period.

Courtesy: People’s Democracy

FORCIBLE ACQUISITION OF TRIBAL LANDS IN ANDHRA PRADESH

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ANDHRA PRADESH STRUGGLES AGAINST ANTI PEOPLE POLICIES OF CONGRESS GOVERNMENTS

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ANDHRA PRADESH: CPI (M) LEADERS END INDEFINITE FAST STATE GOVT CONCEDES SOME DEMANDS

N S Arjun

WITH the Congress state government of Andhra Pradesh forced to concede some of the demands raised, the indefinite hunger strike of CPI (M) leaders led by Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu was withdrawn on 22 March 2011. Polit Bureau member and MP Brinda Karat offered lime juice to B V Raghavulu, S Veeraiah, G Nagaiah and Dr M Babu Rao in the huge public meeting that was held at Indira Park – the same venue where the CPI (M) leaders began their indefinite fast six days ago.

Even as tens of thousands of people – mostly dalits, tribals, agricultural labour, tenant farmers and urban poor – from all parts of the state converged at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram and began their march to the public meeting venue at Indira Park, the chief minister rushed two of his cabinet ministers to hold talks with B V Raghavulu at Gandhi hospital. It followed demands raised in the assembly by Left and TDP members that the government must act on the demands raised by the fasting leaders. The state social welfare minister P Satyanarayana and tribal welfare minister P Balaraju held lengthy discussions with Raghavulu at the hospital.

Addressing the public meeting Brinda Karat complimented the CPI (M) state leaders for their resolute struggle on dalit and tribal issues. This struggle forced the state government to open its eyes, ears and mouth on the burning issues facing these sections of the poor. She lambasted the Congress-led UPA government for its policies that were making the rich richer. “It is not an aam admi government but a khas admi government”, she said and cited how in the recent union budget 5 lakh crore rupees were given away to the corporates in the form of taxes foregone. Karat contrasted this with the fact of snatching away 35,000 crore rupees from dalits and tribals by not allotting that amount as per dalit and tribal sub plans. She demanded that the central government must give an account of how much it has so far allocated and spent under these sub plans. Brinda also mentioned about the recent political happenings in the state and warned that efforts are on to impose the diabolical politics of divide on the people in order to sideline the problems of the poor.

Raghavulu, who had reached the venue from the hospital along with the other three leaders, addressed the huge gathering. He told that the ministers made concrete assurances on some of the demands; a legislation will be brought in the present session of assembly on protecting the rights of tenant farmers; a committee of experts will meet on March 25 to consider some other demands; discussions will be held with intellectuals working in the field of dalit and tribal sub plans on how to streamline and effectively implement them; on some other demands the ministers gave no assurance. Terming this as a partial victory of the struggle, Raghavulu complimented the people who turned up in such huge numbers for the rally overcoming all attempts by the police to prevent mobilisation. Scores of leaders and cadres were arrested in the districts on the previous night to prevent mobilisation. Raghavulu expressed concern at this trend of growing authoritarianism of the state Congress government. He called for preparing for greater struggles in the future by having a wider platform for fighting on people's issues.

Referring to the ongoing agitations in favour of and against bifurcation of the state, Raghavulu said the parties have a right to conduct agitations but leaving all other people's issues until this political issue is sorted out is untenable. Given the stance of the ruling Congress and other political parties in the state, this political issue is not anywhere near of being sorted out. Using this opportunity, the state government is shirking its responsibilities towards people's issues, he criticised.

Tripura deputy speaker and AIAWU joint secretary Bhanulal Saha demanded that the state government of Andhra Pradesh must immediately reallocate and spend the nearly Rs 26,000 crore that had been diverted from dalit and tribal sub plans. He contrasted this with how the Left Front government of Tripura has been catering to the development of dalits and tribals in the state. Over 50 per cent of its total budget is spent on the welfare and development of these sections, he said. The TTADC, Forest Tribal Rights Act etc were highlighted.

CPI (M) central secretariat member V Srinivasa Rao, central committee members Thammineni Veerabadhram, Paturi Ramaiah and veteran leader Mallu Swarajyam were among those who addressed the meeting.

MIDNIGHT ARRESTS

Earlier, the police attacked the indefinite hunger strike camp of CPI (M) leaders in the early hours of Sunday and arrested CPI (M) state secretary B V Raghavulu and three other state leaders who were on an indefinite fast demanding resolution of dalit, tribal, urban poor and tenancy farmers issues from 17 March onwards.

Perhaps nervous about the growing all round support to the fast, particularly from the dalit and tribals sections, the Congress government decided to forcibly break the fast. The CPI (M) leaders however continued the fast in Gandhi hospital where they were shifted by the police. They also asserted that the proposed 'Chalo Assembly' programme would take place as scheduled on March 22.

The CPI (M) activists at the hunger strike camp in Hyderabad fiercely resisted the midnight police action by throwing a ring around the leaders tent. Shouting slogans against the strong arm tactics of the state government and police, the cadre prevented the police from reaching the fasting leaders. After much struggle, the police arrested the CPI (M) leaders and took them in an ambulance to Gandhi hospital.

There has been strong condemnation of this high-handedness of the state government. The CPI (M), CPI, TDP and Lok Satta parties have condemned the arrests and demanded the Congress government to solve the problems instead of trying to forcibly brush them aside. Mass organisations, dalit and tribal organisations, and others have also condemned these arrests.

STATEWIDE PROTESTS

Protests were held across the state condemning the forcible arrests of the CPI (M) leaders who undertook the fast for solving people's issues. Effigies of the government and CM were burnt in many places. In Hyderabad, hundreds of activists gathered in front of Gandhi hospital and staged a rasta roko condemning the illegal arrests of leaders who were peacefully fasting on people's issues. Addressing the protesters, CPI (M) central secretariat member V Srinivasa Rao warned the state government against adopting this anti-democratic attitude. He said it would face the wrath of the downtrodden sections of the society if it sought to ignore their demands raised through the hunger strike.

CPI state secretary K Narayana asked the Congress leaders whether it was a crime to raise the demands of the poor dalit, tribal people. Expressing full solidarity with the struggle launched by the CPI(M), he called upon the government to respond to the issues raised in the hunger strike.

TDP leader Pardhasaradhi, CPI (M) central committee member S Punyavati, CPI (M) secretariat member Y Venkateshwara Rao also spoke on the occasion. Later an effigy of the chief minister was burnt as a mark of protest against the illegal arrests.

WIDESPREAD SOLIDARITY

The hunger strike launched by the CPI (M) leaders on demands pertaining to dalit, tribal, tenant farmers, agricultural labour and urban poor evoked widespread solidarity from various sections of the society. Political parties, mass organisations, dalit and tribal organisations, intellectuals, artists registered their solidarity by visiting the hunger strike camp.

Telugu Desam party president and leader of opposition in Andhra assembly warned the Congress state government against ignoring the issues raised by the CPI (M) leaders in their indefinite hunger strike. He expressed his party's support and solidarity to the struggle launched by the CPI (M) on people's issues Naidu, accompanied by other TDP MLAs, visited the hunger strike camp on 18 March and met with CPI (M) state secretary B V Raghavulu who is leading the indefinite hunger strike along with three other CPI (M) state leaders. He endorsed the 48-point charter of demands placed by the CPI(M) saying all the demands were genuine and concerning the poorest sections of the society. Naidu attacked the state and central governments led by Congress for totally neglecting the poor and burdening them more with price hikes. The recent WikiLeaks expose once again confirms the massive corruption of the Congress leaders and the 'cash for votes' episode was a serious threat to our democracy, he felt. Raghavulu thanked the TDP leader for expressing solidarity to the struggle.

Earlier, CPI state secretary K Narayana and four CPI MLAs visited the camp and expressed their solidarity with the struggle launched by the CPI (M). CPI floor leader, G Mallesh charged the Congress government of deceiving the dalits in the state by diverting all the funds meant for them. He lamented that the government was not giving a scope to discuss the issues pertaining to dalits and tribals in the state assembly by repeatedly adjourning the House. He called for launching greater struggles for the uplift of dalits and tribals in the state and expressed solidarity with the present struggle of CPI(M).

Loksatta president Jayaprakash Narayan also visited the camp and expressed his party's total support to the issues raised by the CPI(M) leaders. Leaders of various mass organisations, NGOs, intellectuals poured in to express solidarity. Among them included AIIEA general secretary K Venugopal, AILU joint secretary K Pardhasaradhy and Madiga Reservation Struggle Committee president Krupakar Madiga, Dalit Studies Forum head and senior journalist, Mallepalli Laxmaiah. Faced with such growing support to the CPI (M) struggle, the ruling Congress leaders spewed venom on CPI (M). A senior leader dismissed this struggle as one intended to preserve CPI (M)'s political existence. Raghavulu lambasted the Congress for resorting to cheap criticism instead of trying to solve the issues. He reminded that the CPI (M) was always in the forefront of struggles on people's issues and such attacks would not deter the Party in intensifying the struggle.

At a time when almost all political parties were revolving around the sole issue of bifurcation of the state, and the ruling party is fully immersed in fighting inner party battles, the agitation launched by the CPI (M) has brought the focus back on people's issues – after a long time.

Courtesy: www.pd.cpim.org/

CPI (M) DEMANDS: RESOLVE FARMERS PROBLEM URGENTLY IN ANDHRA PRADESH

AS the indefinite fast undertaken by the TDP President and former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu entered the fifth day, his medical condition is precarious with doctors emphasising the urgent need to give fluids to prevent a tragedy. As the talks held by a group of three state ministers with Naidu failed, the former chief minister is adamant on continuing the fast till the government yields to the demand for a special package to the farmers who lost their crops due to severe rainfall recently.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and state secretary, B V Raghavulu was among the host of leaders who called on Naidu in the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) hospital and expressed solidarity on December 21. RSP leader Abani Roy, CPI state secretary K Narayana also called on Naidu.

Later, speaking to reporters Raghavulu urged the government and the Congress to see the farmers problem from people's standpoint instead of as a political issue. He wanted the government to urgently find a solution to the problems of farmers who have suffered severe losses and many of who are committing suicides. He reminded that earlier also when such indefinite fasts were undertaken, the governments had found solutions and resolved the issue. Raghavulu also called on the central government and Congress high command to respond on this issue. He warned about a united opposition intensifying the agitation further if the governments do not respond.

At the time of writing this on December 22, activists belonging to TDP, CPI (M) and CPI were conducting siege of district collectorate offices across the state protesting governments careless attitude on this issue. In Warangal, the police resorted to lathicharge and arrested TDP MLAs and Left parties leaders during the agitation resulting in tension in the area.

Source: www.pd.cpim.org/