Staff Reporter / New Delhi
Left parties have decided to organize All India Protest Fortnight from June 16 to Jun 30, 2021 against rising price hikes of petrol and other essential commodities & drugs.
With strictly adherence to the precautions and protocol of COVID, the Left parties called upon their state units to conduct these protests in the concrete conditions obtaining in their states during this fortnight.
In a joint statement left parties said that the prices of food articles have risen by nearly 5 per cent in April. Primary commodities saw a rise of 10.16 per cent and manufactured products have risen by 9.01 per cent. By the time these commodities reach the retail markets, the consumers are charged much more.
This is happening while the economy is witnessing a deep recession, galloping unemployment, collapsing purchasing power and rising levels of hunger.
“More assaults on people’s livelihood are being mounted by this relentless rise in prices of all essential commodities. Instead of helping people to combat the ravages of the Covid health catastrophe, the Modi government hiked the prices of petroleum products by at least 21 times after the announcement of results of the recent assembly elections on May 2, 2021. This is leading to a cascading inflationary spiral with the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) rising to a eleven year high” joint statement said adding that ‘unscrupulous black-marketing and hoarding is taking place under state patronage’.
‘Modi government must strictly crackdown on such black-marketing especially of essential drugs, vital for people’s survival. Modi government must immediately give direct cash transfers of Rs. 7500/- per month for six months to all families not in the income tax paying bracket’.
It said that the provisions announced by PM Modi regarding extension of PMGKAY till Diwali of 5kgs of foodgrains is completely inadequate and does not cover the neediest. 10 kg foodgrains per month to all individuals including a food kit with pulses, edible oil, sugar, spices, tea etc. must be distributed free.
The signatories include –
Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist)
D Raja, General Secretary, Communist Party of India
Debabrata Biswas, General Secretary, All India Forward Bloc
Manoj Bhattacharya, General Secretary, Revolutionary Socialist Party
Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary, Communist Party of India
(Marxist-Leninist)-Liberation