People's Democracy

DELHI INDUSTRIES

Massive Demo Seeks Halt To Closure Drive

CPI(M) Places Demands

A UNIQUE and massive demonstration of workers and manufacturers of small-scale industries in non-conforming areas was held in New Delhi on October 12 to protest against the ongoing campaign of the Delhi government to seal these industries under the pretext of Supreme Court directives. The government has begun disconnecting water and electricity to these units.

The demonstration was organised jointly by the Delhi state committee of the CPI(M) and the Delhi Manufacturers Federation.

The demonstrators were addressed by former prime minister V P Singh, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) central committee member Jogendra Sharma and Delhi unit leaders Mohan Lal and S B Bharadwaj. From the CPI, its national leaders D Raja and Amarjit Kaur also spoke.

Delhi Vyapar Sangathan patron, M M Aggarwal, deputy speaker of Delhi Assembly, Shoaib Iqbal and Delhi Manufacturers Federation president, Vijay Vermani also addressed the huge gathering.

Sitaram Yechury in his speech assured the demonstrators that the CPI(M) would not allow lakhs of workers and manufacturers to be ruined and would build pressure on the UPA government to concede their demands immediately.

Jogendra Sharma outlined the demands and action programme. They were:

1. The union government should bring an ordinance within 10 days to regularise the areas of industrial concentration. This will take care of the areas that are 50 per cent or more industrial in nature.

2. The ordinance should clearly mention that the Master Plan of Delhi – 2001 will remain operative till the new MPD – 2021 comes into force.

3. Units in non-conforming areas with less than 50 per cent industrial concentration should be relocated in new industrial areas to be developed by the Delhi government. A time bound plan should be mentioned in this regard in the ordinance, in consultation with the Delhi government.

4. After developing such new industrial areas, a reasonable time should be given to manufacturers to shift there, as is already envisaged in the revised Master Plan Of Delhi.

5. The current practice of providing an electricity load of 20 KV to run industrial units within the boundaries of Lal Dora in Delhi Dehat must be continued. After losing their agricultural land, villagers have no source of income other than running such industrial units or getting rental proceeds from letting out premises for such activities.

6. The list, scope and nature of home-based industries must be clearly outlined in the order to protect them against arbitrary closure.

7. The classification of A to E categories of industries in non-conforming areas must be re-examined immediately. The inclusion of atta chakki, barber shops, cycle repair shops, motor mechanics, embroidery work etc in these categories shows the unjustified nature of this categorisation.   

8. The ongoing campaign of the Delhi government to disconnect water/electricity connection and seal industrial units must be halted immediately as this is causing unemployment and unrest among the lakhs of workers and manufacturers.

The CPI(M) leaders warned that if the union government does not bring an ordinance incorporating the above demands, the struggle will be intensified and a call for more militant action, including Delhi bandh could be given.

Later, the above demands were submitted as a note to the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi and the prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh by CPI(M) leaders Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Sitaram Yechury during the meeting of the Left Parties – UPA co-ordination committee held on the evening of October 12.