Karat’s travels

UPA and working class

Evaluating the UPA’s performance in the last three years in terms of the interest of workers, CPI(M) politburo member and its trade union wing CITU president M.K. Pandhe dwells on the “violations” of the commitments made in the National Common Minimum Programme.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was not effective. Pandhe wrote in People’s Democracy, “There has been actually increased unemployment… this sector had to face innumerable difficulties and witnessed many closures.”

While the NCMP rejected the idea of automatic hire and fire policy, “in practice, the UPA government is going in the opposite direction”, said the Left leader. “It is pushing the NDA’s proposal for a short-term employment whereby the employer gets a right to fire a worker… In short, the hire and fire policy is already being introduced through the back door.”

Referring to the recent electoral reverses suffered by the Congress in Punjab and Uttarakhand, Pandhe said, “The UPA government is getting isolated from the working class and the common people due to the non-implementation of the NCMP.”

Eye on health

In the third part of her series on health policy in People’s Democracy, CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat talks about the “vicious circle.” What is required today, she said, is a massive infusion of funds from the central government to re-energise the public heath system and create both physical and social infrastructure. In 1991, the public health expenditure to GDP was 1.3 per cent. This had come down to 0.9 per cent in 2001-02 and has increased only marginally since. According to her, “Another serious concern is the shortfall in the actual expenditure as compared to the outlay approved in the budget. The actual expenditure always falls short of the approved outlays.”

Compiled by D.K. Singh