Shimla
The state committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) on Tuesday accused both the Centre and the Himachal Pradesh government of pursuing policies that have deepened the economic crisis in the state, while also raising concerns over school closures, power sector reforms, rising agricultural distress and communal polarisation.
The two-day meeting of the CPM state committee was held in Shimla on June 16 and 17 under the chairmanship of state secretariat member Omkar Shad. CPM central secretariat member Vikram Singh also attended the meeting. State secretary Sanjay Chauhan presented the political and organisational report, while Vikram Singh briefed members on the party’s assessment of national and international developments.
The party condemned what it described as US aggression against Iran, Palestine, Venezuela and Cuba, and criticised the Narendra Modi-led government for maintaining silence on the issue. CPM leaders said the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Iran had worsened the global economic situation, contributing to inflation, unemployment and disruptions in fuel supplies.
The committee alleged that the BJP-led central government was undermining democratic institutions and attempting to deprive millions of citizens of their voting rights through electoral processes. The party announced a statewide awareness campaign in Himachal Pradesh to mobilise people in defence of voting rights and democratic values.
Expressing concern over the state’s financial condition, CPM claimed that the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) by the Centre would result in an annual loss of ₹7,000–8,000 crore to Himachal Pradesh. The party said the state’s debt burden had crossed ₹1.08 lakh crore and accused the government of shifting the financial burden onto common people through increased taxation while reducing spending on public services.
The party also opposed the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, alleging that around 1,500 schools had either been closed or merged in the state and objecting to the government’s recent decision to shut 10 colleges. CPM demanded the immediate withdrawal of these decisions.
On the power sector, the party accused the government of paving the way for privatisation through the installation of prepaid smart meters and the withdrawal of electricity subsidies. It also criticised the imposition of various surcharges on electricity consumers, claiming that these measures had increased the financial burden on households.
Highlighting the agrarian crisis, CPM said rising input costs, reduced subsidies and inadequate returns were adversely affecting farmers and horticulturists. The party demanded compensation for crop losses caused by recent hailstorms and heavy rains that damaged apple, pear, plum, apricot, pea, wheat and vegetable crops across the state.
The committee also called for immediate payment of pending dues under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), restoration of budget allocations for the scheme and a halt to loan recovery proceedings against affected farmers.
Supporting ongoing agitations by dairy farmers, CPM urged the government to ensure timely payments and establish additional milk chilling plants to strengthen procurement infrastructure. It also backed demands for regularisation of occupied land and measures to provide land to landless, poor and disaster-affected families.
The party criticised changes in rural employment programmes and demanded adequate central funding to ensure 125 days of guaranteed employment in Himachal Pradesh.
The state committee further condemned incidents of communal polarisation and appealed to democratic, social and progressive organisations to unite against divisive politics and safeguard social harmony in the state.
Concluding the meeting, CPM announced that it would intensify struggles in the coming months by mobilising workers, farmers and common people against what it termed the anti-people policies of both the Centre and the state government.
