CPM Criticises Union Budget as Anti-Farmer and Pro-Corporate

Hyderabad: CPM state secretary John Wesley said the Union Budget was inimical to the interests of farmers, agriculture workers, Dalits and tribals. He claimed that it took education and health out of the reach of people, and vowed to fight against it. A meeting of the joint action committee of organisations aligned with the Left parties decided to hold programmes to secure promises made during state bifurcation, and against the “pro-corporate” Budget.

S. Veeraiah, JAC convener, said that while the Budget had given income-tax relief, it was actually levying 30 per cent tax on them while imposing only 22 per cent on corporates. “The government steered clear of the minimum wage of workers and has not made any attempt to stop farmer suicides, he said.

Subsidy on fertilisers had been slashed along with allocations to the NREGS. “Having two ministers in the Union Cabinet along with eight MPs from the state has not been of any use,” he said, referring to the lack of new announcements for Telangana.

Those who participated included Tammineni Veerabhadram, N. Nagaiah, Chukka Ramulu and Julakanti Rangareddy.