CPM to launch protest against mega projects from October 10

The CPI(M) would Wednesday onwards lay siege to government offices in adjoining Thane and Palghar districts over a slew of demands, including scrapping of the proposed Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

Besides the bullet train project, the party and some other organisations are also opposing the constructions of Mumbai-Vadodara and Mumbai-Nagpur express highways and river- linking programmes, which they claimed, would destroy local farmers and their livelihood.

The rail and road projects would pass through the two districts.

The party would press for addressing local concerns related to water supply, employment, education, health, pension, electricity, houses and roads, said a joint statement issued by CPI(M) leaders Ashok Dhawale and Barkya Mangat.

Dhawale said the party men would continue to lay siege of government offices till the demands are met.

"From October 10, which is observed every year as Martyrs' Day and as the death anniversary of the legendary leader Comrade Godavari Parulekar, over 50,000 people led by the CPI(M) will lay siege to government offices in seven tehsils in Thane-Palghar," the statement said.

"The struggle will not be withdrawn anywhere until the local demands are conceded in writing by the officials," the statement said.

The party would also persist with the campaign on issues such as rise in prices of fuel and other essential commodities, alleged growth in unemployment, poverty, indebtedness, malnutrition and the Rafale fighter jet deal.

The protest would begin simultaneously with rallies at Dahanu, Talasari, Jawhar, Vikramgad, Palghar, Wada and Shahapur. The rallies will be followed by gherao of the SDO/ Tehsil offices, the statement said.

Organisations like the All India Kisan Sabha, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, the All-India Democratic Women's Association, the Democratic Youth Federation of India and the Students' Federation of India would also take part in the protest, the statement added.