Communist Party of India (CPI) will write complaint letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Ministry of Home Affairs and CBI director, on the inordinate delay by the CBI in investigating the cases undertaken in Puducherry.
R Viswanathan, CPI state secretary, while briefing reporters about the resolutions adopted in the party’s State committee meeting on Tuesday, said that his party would urge the agency to expedite the investigation in the cases undertaken by them and book the culprits.
He said the CBI has undertaken a number of cases like violence at the Yanam Regency Ceramics following workers unrest, corruption allegations in the construction of flood protection wall in Yanam, irregularities in the construction of Tsunami houses etc.
He said the CBI was yet to chargesheet in any of the cases, yet to bring the culprits before court and ensure punishment for the guilty. Pointing that nobody knows the status of the cases undertaken by the CBI, Viswanathan said people have lost faith in the CBI, as it is yet to come up with a chargesheet in any of the cases. The CPI state secretary said if no action is taken, then the party would stage an agitation in front of the CBI office in Chennai.
Referring to the power tariff hike, Viswanathan charged the Central and State governments with conspiring to increase the electricity charges and urged the State government to withdraw it. Now, a family has to shell out Rs 200 to Rs 600 extra for paying the hiked charges, he added. He revealed that his party would agitate against the hike in various places, starting at Kamarajar Nagar from Thursday.
On the statehood issue, the CPI leader said the party stood for statehood for Puducherry. He suggested that the state government should send a delegation to Delhi, which should impress upon the leaders of various political parties the need for statehood, he added. Viswanathan said his party would hold a public meeting to evolve public opinion on it.
He said the party would undertake a signature campaign from April 22 on a 26-point demand, which the Central and State governments were expected to implement for the welfare of the people. The party slammed the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department of the government for not providing quality food at the hostel of Adi Dravidar students. Besides, they also urged the Central and State governments to ensure the release of 26 Karaikal fishermen apprehended by the Sri Lankan fishermen.