Ally CPM red flags DMK govt over 'anti-people measures'

CHENNAI: All is not well in the ruling DMK alliance in the state. Unlike the VCK leaders, who were blowing hot and cold for the past couple of months, the CPM state conference in Villupuram on Saturday passed resolutions questioning the government's decisions on crucial public issues thereby leaving the DMK leadership redfaced.

Coming down heavily on the DMK government, the conference questioned the way government orders were issued on plans to upgrade/merge local bodies with municipal corporations without taking the public into confidence. Terming the move as "an idea to collect more taxes", the Communist Party of India (Marxist) resolution pointed out that the infrastructure and facilities continue to be a mirage despite the upgradation of municipalities into civic corporations.

"Such 'upgrades' will deny residents of the MGNREGA scheme, free housing scheme and other welfare measures. Moreover, property tax and water charges will increase in rural areas. Merging the local bodies only to increase the revenue is unfair," it said.

The development comes a day after CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan, addressing a public gathering as part of the conference, criticised the DMK government for denying permission to peaceful protests and went on to ask CM Stalin, "Have you declared an undeclared Emergency in the state?"

"It is not correct to claim that basic infrastructures will become available only if rural areas are merged with urban bodies. For the last 25 years, no appointments were made to ensure proper infrastructure development in rural local bodies," said the resolution adding same is the case with cleanliness workers.

In another resolution, the Left party urged the DMK to roll back the power tariff hike for small, micro and medium enterprises as the industry is in dire straits due to economic and industrial policies followed by the Centre.

Both the CPM and CPI were unhappy with state police and the government for arresting the Left workers during a recent stir against Samsung for not allowing them to form a trade union. The CPM recently also expressed its displeasure over the non-settlement of the dues of transport corporation employees.