Left plans protest against “anti-people” Budget
The CPI and other Left parties will stage a mass protest in front of the Assembly on August 12 against the “anti-people” Budget 2024-25 for the Union Territory.
A. M. Saleem, CPI secretary in Puducherry, said the Budget with an outlay of ₹12,700 crore that proposed to resort to borrowings to bridge the fiscal deficit was a betrayal of the people of Puducherry. The people had been promised that a “double engine” benefit of the BJP, which is in power at the Centre and Union Territory, would bring in more funds and development schemes.
While the Budget outlay comprised an own revenue component of ₹6,914.66 crore, Central Assistance of ₹3,268.98 crore and allocation under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of ₹430 crore, provisioning ₹10,969 crore for salary, pension, loan servicing and other welfare outgo, virtually emptied out the coffers and exposed the acute financial crisis, he said.
The CPI leader said the scheme to provide solar power for water pump sets to farmers was an underhanded way to withdraw free electricity as part of the push for privatisation.
While welcoming the SMART-PDS proposal, Mr. Saleem said the absence of any provision to reopen ration shops and distribute rice and other essential food items gave room for skepticism about the scheme.
The Budget madeno mention of the aspiration for a textile park to mitigate unemployment, reopening ofsugar mill or strengthening of cooperatives.
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