New Delhi, Nov 14: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at New Delhi on November 13-14, 2021. Following are the excerpts of the statement:
The cut in central excise duty of Rs. 5 per litre for petrol and Rs. 10 per litre for diesel provides no relief to the people who are suffering from the growing burden of higher prices of petroleum production,
This token reduction must be seen in the light of the fact that central excise constitutes Rs. 33 per litre of petrol and Rs. 32 per litre of diesel.
The Central government has made this meagre reduction from excise duties that are sharable with the states. However, it continues to collect special additional excise duty (surcharge) amounting to Rs. 74,350 crores; additional excise duty (cess) amounting to Rs. 1,98,000 crore; and other cess and surcharges amounting to Rs. 15,150 crores, totaling a whopping Rs. 2.87 lakh crores that are not sharable with the states.
The Polit Bureau demands that these additional cess and surcharges must be withdrawn immediately to provide some meaningful relief to the people.
Paddy Procurement
The Polit Bureau condemns the decision of the Central government not to procure paddy at MSP prices from certain states under the specious argument that the Central godowns are full. Foodgrains rotting in godowns must be distributed free to the needy.
This cruel decision comes at a time when the farmers have been in a historic struggle for a year demanding the repeal of the Agri Laws and the legal right to sell at MSP for all crops.
The Polit Bureau demands that the Centre must procure all crops at MSP.
Support the Calls of the Kisan and Central Trade Unions
The Polit Bureau extended solidarity and support of the CPI(M) to the decision of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha to observe the first anniversary of the historic kisan struggle by strengthening the mobilization at the border points of Delhi and conducting protest actions in all state capitals on November 26.
The Polit Bureau extended its support to the call of the Central Trade Unions marking the first anniversary of the historic strike of the working class against the loot of country’s assets through large-scale privatization, repeal of the labour codes amongst other demands.
