CMO acting at the behest of Jaypee: CPM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 25

CPM leader Rakesh Singha  today accused the Virbhadra government of promulgating “undeclared emergency in Kinnaur” and the police attack on the CPM office in Shimla was a link to this as the CMO was allegedly acting at the behest of JP company to crush the issues of farmers and workers.

“We demand a judicial probe into the whole episode,” said  Singha, vice-president, CITU, which is supporting the agitation of the workers union of Karcham-Wangtoo and Baspa II power projects in Kinnaur, run by Jai Prakash Power Ventures, at a press conference here which was attended by CPM leaders Sanjay Chauhan, Dr Kuldip Tanwar and Tikender Panwar. 

“The civil and police administration is working overtime to please the company as the government has mortgaged the interests of people to a private company”, he alleged. 

The CPM warned district officials of making them the party in the pending labour dispute in the Labour Commissioner court if they did not refrain from facilitating entry of outside workers. The party would intensify its campaign against the government, they claimed.

“The Kinnaur administration has failed to explain as to why it has clamped Section 144 CrPC on the accommodations of 700 workers since March 18, while workers were forced to take refuge in jungles in sub-zero temperature, which is unlawful”, they charged.

The CPM leader said the construction by Jaypee had damaged the ecology of Kinnaur. “The whole area above the head race tunnel along the National Highway-22 and Urni village  is sliding at a fast pace, destroying horticulture and agriculture lands and the houses of farmers,” he said.