THE CPI(M) had conducted a survey in several areas of Delhi during the month of June 2016. This survey brought to fore issues which were taken to the notice of the chief minister at numerous occasions in the recent past. The major issues and the Party's demands were again brought to the notice of the chief minister in a memorandum submitted to him on July 14. The main issues are discussed below.

Unrelenting price rise, particularly in the prices of food grains and vegetables continues to be the biggest problem for the working class and vulnerable sections. While the central government's failure in controlling the commodity prices is the main factor behind this, there is a lot which the state government can do to provide relief to people. Sadly the approach of the AAP government in implementing the Food Security Act is no different from that of the Congress and the BJP. Despite relentless inflation and the burden it imposes, the state government is not willing to spend from its own coffers to ensure an increase in the number of beneficiaries of the public distribution system and provide adequate measure of food grains as well as other essential commodities to the people through PDS.

The delegation had met the CM on  November 21 and had demanded to ensure provision of dal, cooking oil and salt at cheap rates through the PDS. The CM had agreed to look into the possibilities of providing dal in particular, given its extremely high prices. However, nothing has been done in this regard till now. The CPI(M) has again, in the memorandum reiterated the demands which are as follows:

a)     Provide all families 35 kg of food grains at Rs 2 per kilo per month through PDS.

b)     Ensure provision of dal, cooking oil and salt at cheap rates through the PDS.

c)     Rescind the proposal to introduce cash transfer system.

AAP party's election manifesto had promised to regularise contract workers working on jobs of a permanent nature. It had also promised implementation of labour laws and statutory minimum wages. Delhi government has not done anything concrete to implement either of these. Contractual work has actually increased in all government offices and industrialists have been given a free hand to contractualise jobs of permanent nature. The labour department that is responsible for enforcing implementation of labour laws and minimum wages has been rendered impotent, with severe lack of officers. The complaints made by trade unions are being ignored and there is an attempt to establish NGOs in their place. The CPI(M) has therefore demanded that the government:

a)     Regularise all contract workers employed on work of a permanent nature. Put an end to the exploitative contractual system.

b)     Ensure payment of statutory minimum wages and implementation of labour laws.

c)     Fill all vacant posts of DLCs, ALCs and labour inspectors.

d)     Stop undermining trade unions and the democratic rights of the working class.

Irregular water supply and electricity continues to be a big problem in most of the areas of Delhi. AAP government had announced both of these as priority areas. However, the work of laying pipelines in the unauthoriSed colonies and the JJ clusters lags far behind the stated goals. This year's budget didn't have any separate allocation towards the treatment of supply water, which raises questions over the commitment towards providing safe drinking water. The state government had promised to not privatise the water distribution, but moves towards privatisation have already started with three transaction centres being handed over to private contractors. This must be reverted back.

Besides this, the irregular electricity supply raises serious questions over the functioning of private companies. A thorough investigation must be done and if the need arises then government should be ready to take over the electricity distribution in its own hands.

There is no visible change in the condition of government schools in the city. A few 'World class' schools cannot be a substitute to the urgent interventions in the existing schools and also much greater number of new schools. Parents continue to run from pillar to post and there have been instances where they had to pay hefty sum to secure the admission in government schools. Besides this, no work of building new colleges has started till now. Instead we are seeing this reactionary bogey of the demand for the reservation for students from Delhi in the Delhi University admissions.

Crimes against women continue to rise unabatedly. Delhi government has failed to make any efforts to implement the recommendations of the Justice J S Verma committee.

While the people's problems continue unabatedly, AAP and BJP continue to engage in blame game. Our Party has always been an advocate of the demand of full statehood of Delhi. However this does not mean that state government cannot provide any relief to people within the existing framework. AAP government must take efforts to provide solutions to people's woes, else we will have no option but to hit the streets, the memorandum noted.