Rice @Rs 2/kg for families earning Rs 10,000 pm: Buddha

'Does Trinamool want a 'change' in land reforms,which gave 84 per cent land to land-losers?'

The CPI (M)-led Left Front is committed to keeping its election pledge of providing rice at Rs 2 per kg for families with a monthly income of less than Rs 10,000,Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee said here on Wednesday.

“We will make rice available at Rs 2 per kg to families earning less than Rs 10,000 per month,” the Chief Minister told a press conference at the CPI-M headquarters here,reiterating the promises made in the Left Front manifesto in this regard.

He said that APL or BPL criteria would not be applicable and all families earning Rs 10,000 per month would be given rice at the abovesaid rate.

Ridiculing the Opposition’s call for ‘change’,the chief minister said,”Do they want a change in land reforms,which gave 84 per cent land to land-losers under the Left Front regime,or change in industrialisation or still change in the midday meal scheme?”

“Do they want a change like the way the Railways has brought about?” Bhattacharjee said,apparently pointing a finger at the performance of Mamata Banerjee as Railway Minister.

“People are watching how the Railways is functioning. The six Trinamool Congress ministers of state at the Centre are simply loitering around and are like non-performing assets in closed factories,” he said.

He claimed that people who voted against the Left Front were returning to it. “We want a change too and that is,change for the better.”

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Asked if he was taking the onus upon himself for the mistakes committed by his government in the acquisiton of farmland for industry and the high-handedness of a section of CPI-M leaders,the chief minister said,”When there is criticism,I cannot be left out because I have a role in policy making.”

He said there was some confusion in the acquisition of land because of some policy loopholes which,he pointed out,had later been corrected.

“We are also criticised for doing nothing for the minorities. But we have now taken steps for their upliftment like reservation of jobs for poor Muslims.”

Admitting to undue interference by a section of party leaders in civil society’s day-to-day affairs,he said,”Ours is a big party. Mistakes by some cause harm to the party. We have asked party workers and leaders to admit the mistakes and show respect to the people.”

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Interference in civil society’s affairs would not be tolerated and party leaders have been told to abstain from high-handed and domineering attitude,Bhattacharjee added.

“Sugar will also be given through ration shops,” he said.