Tarigami was addressing largely attended joint protest rally organized by Central Trade Unions Viz. CITU, INTUC, AITUC, NZIEA in Jammu. Protest rally started from Press Club, Jammu, marching towards Indra Chowk and was protesting against unprecedented price rise, rampant violation of labour laws, contractorization of workforce, disinvestment of profit making public sector and for provision of universal social security for unorganized sector workers as a part of national programme of above mentioned central trade unions. The demonstrators were holding banners, placards and raising slogans against the repressive economic policies implemented by the state and central governments.
Tarigami said that tall claims of “India Shining” and the cry of “GDP Growth” cannot hide this reality that majority of our population still remains unnourished. The situation of mal-nutrition and food insecurity is further compounded by the relentless rise of prices of essential commodities which has broken the back of common-man. He emphasized for implementation of Universalization of PDS instead of existing Targeted PDS which denies availability of ration items to majority of our population. Government should provide ration items (rice/wheat) at Rs.2/- per Kg. to consumers.
Tarigami criticized the proposed Food Security Legislation in its present form which proposes 25 Kgs of food grains (rice/wheat) to BPL and Antodaya card holders i.e. a cut of 10 Kgs from existing 35 Kgs per family at Rs.3/- per Kg. Under this proposed legislation not only APL subsidy is eliminated but even APL category will be cancelled and no food grains will be allocated under APL category and the net result will be withdrawing Rs.4000 crores of Food subsidy when the demand has been for more subsidy on food items. He re-iterated his demand that buffer food stocks be purchased and made available to the common man especially rural and urban poor by minimizing unnecessary expenditure.
“Ever-increasing army of unemployed persons is an area of serious concern for all of us and government should evolve some concrete mechanism to provide meaningful employment avenues to the youth whose number is estimated to have swallowed over 5 lacs”, Tarigami asserted that. “Recently Prime Minister had announced formation of a committee under Dr.C.Rangarajan, former Governor RBI, to explore and suggest measures for creating job avenues for the unemployed youth of the state is not merely sufficient. What is required is immediate initiation of some concrete measures to create confidence among the youth of the state?” Tarigami said.
Tarigami re-iterated that ASHA workers in-spite of playing a very significant role in providing basic health services to the poor sections of the society particularly people belonging to far flung, neglected and backward areas, their condition is pathetic, pitiable and miserable in absence of minimum monthly wages and demanded that they may be provided monthly wages regularly.
He appealed leaders of trade unions and mass organizations to come together to fight these repressive and anti-working class economic policies of the state and central governments.
Comrades Om Prakash, General Secretary, CITU, Sham Prasad Kesar, State Treasurer,CITU, Shri Shiv Kumar Sharma, President,INTUC, Shri Raghubir Singh, General Secy.INTUC, Comardes N.K.Dogra, President, AITUC, Balkar Singh, Vice President, AITUC, Daleep Kaul, President NZGIEU, Pawan Gupta, General Secy. NZEIA, Ramesh Chander, Jt.Secy. NZEIA, also addressed the rally. While addressing the rally these leaders exhorted to fight unitedly for reversal of neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the UPA-II Government.