CPM raps Centre for measly funds to TN projects, slams state for keeping mum

“Many states are reeling under severe financial crisis with the Centre taking away the revenue sources one after the other. Even as Tamil Nadu government is suffering a debt burden of Rs 4 lakh crore, the Centre has kept backlogs under various heads, including Rs 4,073 crore state’s share in GST, MGNREGA and SC/ST education fund,” said a resolution adopted at the CPM’s two-day state committee meeting.

CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan urged the Centre to allocate pending funds and to provide adequate money for all the projects. “Despite the Centre ignoring the state, the ruling AIADMK government in the state refuse to either criticise or seek additional fund allocation. We condemn the AIADMK government for keeping quite for its selfish reason allowing the people to suffer,” he said.

In another resolution, the CPM urged the Centre to rectify the lacuna leading to the Supreme Court reversing the Uttarakhand High Court order directing the state government to provide reservation. “A two-member bench of the Supreme Court has interpreted that Article 16(4) and 16 (4-A) are enabling provisions and there is no fundamental right to claim reservations for SC/ST/OBCs in government jobs and promotions. While this provision for reservation and promotions may not be a fundamental right, these are Constitutional provisions that are mandatory, to be applicable universally in India,” it said.

The Marxist party considers this interpretation of the Constitution as being anti-Dalit, anti-tribal and anti-OBCs. It calls upon the Centre to rectify the lacuna leading to such an interpretation through legislative resolutions in both houses of Parliament and set right this lacuna in the Constitution forthwith. All possible legal measures to seek a review of such an interpretation must be explored.

Citing Tamil Nadu’s long history of social justice, the Left party urged the state government to impress upon the Centre to legislative remedy to protect reservations.