AGARTALA, Oct 29 - Hitting hard on the BJP Government for its alleged anti-poor policy, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Sunday alleged the BJP Government has been working only for the welfare of corporate houses.
The outlay for social welfare fields � agriculture, healthcare, rural job opportunity and education has been slashed down drastically to woo a few capitalists, he said while addressing a rally of Tripura Tapashili Jati Samannoy Samity at Vivekananda ground here.
Citing example of reduction in welfare schemes, he said Tripura had secured first position in the past four years of the five years under MGNREGA but the Centre has reduced its labour budget to only 42 mandays.
�Even after drastically reducing MGNREGA outlay, the Centre has not released fund to the State as per the budgetary provision of generating 42 mandays. Why is this happening this?�, he demanded.
The BJP-led Government has been trying to withdraw Public Distribution System (PDS) to keep its promises given to the corporate houses. �Distribution of sugar through PDS has been stopped while quota for kerosene oil has been reduced to an all-time low�, he mentioned in his hour-long speech.
Sarkar said scrapping of Planning Commission has hit the State�s economy. �Tripura is deprived of Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 2000 crore each year after replacing Planning Commission by Niti Aayog. One can imagine if a State like Tripura�s loss stands at Rs 2,000 crore, how much will be lost by big States annually�, he pointed out.
Saying that days ahead are very challenging for the BJP Government, Sarkar said trade unions, farmers and common people are coming together to resist the government�s privatisation policy. �Over one hundred organisations have decided to stage demonstration in front of Parliament during the upcoming Lok Sabha session scheduled for November�, he warned.
Sensing impending trouble, the BJP and its allies RSS and Bajrang Dal have been trying to foment communal feeling among the people, he alleged.
�In Haryana, the State Government has been constructing housing complexes for keeping cattle heads! It is a ridiculous project aimed at creating division between two religions�, he said.
