CPM-style austerity: ‘Rectification document’,conduct code,fund clarity

In other words,it could be the CPM’s own austerity drive. Sources said the party would be harsh on those who accepted hospitality extended by corporate and private lobbies,including dinner and lunch invites and expensive gifts.

“All wrong trends in the party will be rectified and it will be done at all levels,” said CPM Politburo member M K Pandhe. His colleague Sitaram Yechury,however,touched upon the need for party leaders to follow a simple lifestyle but did not forget to take a dig at the Congress on the government’s austerity drive.

“We have seen the austerity of Congress style in which an MP buys an economy class,sits in an economy class till the flight takes off and then moves to business class. This is not the style of austerity which we are talking about,” he added.

The latest incident of CPM Central Committee member and Kerala’s Health Minister P K Sreemathi appointing her daughter-in-law in her personal staff as a cook and then promoting her as an additional personal assistant within a year is now being cited as an example of favouritism. The issue would now be looked into by the state committee,sources said.

It is learnt that CPM general secretary Prakash Karat was of the view that all party cadre right up to the local committee level should disclose their incomes and assets to ensure probity. Senior leaders — right from Politburo to state committee — and top-level functionaries of frontal organisations already submit details about their income and assets.

There is still no clarity on the dos and don’ts to be prescribed for those holding constitutional posts right from Ministers,MPs and MLAs to the local body members. The draft would now be discussed by the Central Committee which meets towards the end of October.

Although the party had decided to update the 1996

rectification document last year,the exercise gained urgency after the defeat in the Lok Sabha elections when erosion of party standards and violation of communist values by comrades were found to be one of the key reasons for the rout.

‘Bengal has not given up industrialisation’
The West Bengal government has not given up industrialisation of the state,including finalising an alternate project for Singur,Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said on Monday. “How can I dump industrialisation? There are major industrial projects which are moving forward. There is Videocon (project) in North Bengal,a power plant by the Jindals and the petrochemical project in Nayachar,” he told a press conference here.

Asked about the scientific park projects of Infosys and Wipro,Bhattacharjee said,”They have visited Kolkata,we have given them land. Talks are going on.”

“Even in Singur,we are trying our best to have an alternative project. We have not given up. I am not disclosing anything now,” a beaming Chief Minister said. – PTI