The local unit of the Communist Party of India (M) (CPM) took out a protest march in the city against rising prices and local civic issues on Tuesday evening. The march began at Chhotu Ram Park and concluded at Gohana Adda.
Jagmati Sangwan, party in-charge for Rohtak city, alleged that the city was grappling with an acute shortage of drinking water, overflowing sewers, heaps of garbage along roadsides and clogged drains, even as the monsoon season is fast approaching.
“Moreover, the continuous rise in the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas is making it increasingly difficult for ordinary people to manage their households and kitchens. Now that crude oil prices have fallen in the international market, fuel prices within the country should also be reduced accordingly. Rising petrol prices lead to higher costs of fruit, vegetables and almost all items used in daily life,” she added.
Senior party leader Inderjit Singh stated that the farmers were also facing increasing difficulties due to the shortage of fertilisers and irrigation water. “The government appears to have little concern for the suffering of the people. Instead, it is working in alliance with imperialist forces to serve its own interests and those of the corporate sector,” he added.
Singh said the law-and-order situation in the city was also deteriorating. Incidents of theft are occurring frequently, and cases of chain-snatching and purse-snatching are becoming common. Pollution levels continue to rise day by day.
District secretary Satbir Singh announced that the party would organise public hearings in various localities in the coming period. “Working together with the residents, the party workers will identify public grievances and formulate charters of demands based on these consultations. Sustained movements and campaigns will then be launched around these demands,” he added.
