Saturday, August 13, 2011

WITHDRAW PROPOSAL TO DECONTROL UREA PRICES - AIKS

AIKS condemns the Congress-led UPA Government’s proposal to decontrol urea prices and increase prices by 10%. The Empowered Group of Ministers on 5th August approved the Saumitra Chaudhuri Committee Recommendations to decontrol urea and allow increase in prices by 10% initially and later bring it under Nutrient Based Subsidy by October. The 10% hike in per tonne over the current Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of Rs.5,310/tonne could translate to an additional expenditure of up to Rs.530/- for farmers. From next year Companies will have a free hand and farm gate prices of urea will be fixed by them. The fertiliser companies will also pass on any increases in gas pricing and additional taxes imposed directly on to the farmers.

This decision should be seen in the light of the startling revelations of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s “Performance Audit of Fertiliser Subsidy” tabled in Parliament on 5th August, 2011 which found that 45 percent of the farmers pay more than the MRP and nearly 60 percent face problems in getting their season’s full requirement in time.

It also pointed to the problem of artificial shortages created by dealers during peak seasons to hike prices much above the MRP. Instead of putting an end to black-marketing and corrupt practices, the Government measure is only going to put the farmers at the mercy of Fertiliser cartels. The CAG has also indicted the Government’s fertiliser policy for deliberately pushing costly imports and turning away the focus from indigenous production of urea which is a key farm input. The present move by the Government is despite strong indictment of the New Pricing Scheme for urea by the CAG. Already the Government had on July 8th, 2011 by a notification withdrawn any restraint on increasing prices of non-urea fertilisers by the companies and stated that the market price of non-urea fertilisers “will be open”. It rescinded an earlier notification of 5th May, 2011 that had allowed Companies to increase MRP of Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) by Rs.600/tonne in addition to the MRP prevailing then (Rs.10,750/tonne) and also a proportionate increase in MRP of Complex Fertilisers (corresponding to that in DAP).


The MRP of DAP according to the May 5th notification would translate into Rs.11,470/tonne. In the light of the July 8th notification the MRP of DAP inclusive of VAT if calculated based on the imported cost of DAP at $650/tonne will translate into around Rs.14,300/tonne. This would mean an exorbitant increase of Rs.3550/tonne of DAP within the last 2 months. The Government move on urea is coming at a time when already farmers are paying hefty amount for non-urea fertilisers and rising input costs are a disincentive to cultivation.Urea is a key agricultural input. Decontrol of urea prices, like in the case of DAP and other Complex fertilisers will put a big burden on the peasantry and costs of production will increase substantially.


AIKS demands that the proposal be rejected and these measures be withdrawn with immediate effect. The Congress-led Government is clandestinely bringing such anti-peasant measures without proper publicity, fearing its political fallout. AIKS warns the Government against such moves and calls upon all units to launch a widespread campaign and protests against this move

Trinamool atrocities reaching its peak : Government too is revengeful



Addressing a massive rally organized by the Left Front on Rani Rashmoni Road in Kolkata on August 12, Front leaders condemned the way the ruling Trinamool Congress had thrown West Bengal into complete unrest and anarchy. Personal liberty of people, they alleged, was being violated and democratic rights of political parties and trade unions were being infringed upon.

Braving the rains and drizzles thousands of Left Front supporters coming from all the districts converged on the Esplanade area to voice their protest against the post-poll violence unleashed by the Trinamool activists on the Left supporting people. The rally was addressed among others Left Front chairman Biman Basu, former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, Leader of the Opposition Suryakanta Mishra, CPI leader Manju Kumar Majumdar and RSP leader Manoj Bhattacherjee. Later, an eleven-member delegation headed by the Leader of the Opposition met the West Bengal Governor M k Narayanan to submit a memorandum giving the details of incidents related to atrocities committed the Trinamool Congress following the declaration of the Assembly elections results in West Bengal.Front chairman Biman Basu said the State was in complete unrest. The newly elected Trinamool government was totally indifferent to systematic as well as organized attacks on Left Front supporters who included poor farmers, students and teachers. All democratic institutions right from panchayats, municipalities, cooperatives, different elected bodies of educational institutions had been made defunct either by attacks and intimidations. In many areas teachers, non-teaching staff and students were not being allowed to enter their institutions.Basu, also secretary of the West Bengal CPI(M), alleged that the Jangalmahal was now made sanctuary for the Maoists. There had been mounting tension in the Hills and Terai and Dooars region in North Bengal. Basic democratic rights of all sections of the people of the State were under threat. Even armed conflicts among different factions of Trinamool Congress were taking place. Every day CPI(M) workers and supporters in rural Bengal was being killed by trigger-happy Trinamool gangsters, Basu alleged.Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee alleged after the Trinamool and Congress alliance had come to power, regular instance of political vendetta, murder, loot, rioting and bloodbath were being witnessed everywhere across rural Bengal. Innocent people were being implicated in false cases and arrested.Her termed the arrest of CPI(M) MLA and former Minister Sushanta Ghosh in a murder case as “political revenge” by Trinamool Congress after coming to power in the State. He alleged the government had been digging up 10 to 30 year old cases just to take revenge against the CPI(M). “ When I was the Chief Minister the Trinamool Congress vandalized the Assembly, attacked policestations and slapped police officer on duty, but I did not take any action against those who indulged in such activities,” he said.The memorandum seeking Governor’s intervention has given details of victims of Trinamool atrocities since the installation of the new government headed by Mamata Banerjee. It revealed that 30 Left Front leaders and workers (CPI(M) 28 and RSP) were killed and seven more were abetted to commit suicide ; 684 women were physically assaulted (508 molested and 23 raped) ; 3785 persons had to be hospitalized for treatment after sustaining severe injuries. There had been 2064 instances of arson and looting of houses and 14081 persons were evicted from their places of living. To buy peace and stay in their homes, people had been forced to pay money to the local Trinamool activists and leaders. An estimated amount of money paid to them was more than 277.7 nillion. Around 758 party, trade uion and other mass organization offices were either attacked, ransacked and,burnt. Altogether 77 student union offices had been captured. There had been a widespread attack on the rights of peasantry where by 3418 ryots were denied the right to cultivate their own lands amounting 9222.73 acres. Besides 26838 Patta holders and share-croppers had been forcibly evicted from 9222.02 acres of patta and barga lands. Even the Left Party organs have not seen spared. 241 boards displaying Ganashakti daily in public had been beaten dismantled and thousands of its copies had been burnt and the hawkers beaten up in order to disrupt it’s circulation chain.