New Delhi, May 22 (UNI) CPI(M) Delhi State Committee today blasted the Central and State Governments over multiple issues related to education, employment, PDS and minimum wages which are making the life of common man miserable. The Committee flayed the governments over these issues at a dharna organised at Jantar Mantar. Attended by over 300 people , mostly women, the dharna was the culmination of a week long campaign conducted by the party in Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad organised at the call of the Party Central Committee. It was addressed by Party State Secretary, K.M. Tiwari, various State Secretariat members and many State Committee members. Speakers lashed at the Central and State Governments for promoting privatization and commercialization of school and college education. They said ," Exorbitant costs of education is putting especially the college education outside the reach of poorer sections. Over 3 lakh students pass out from Class 12 in Delhi each year but Delhi University admits only 60,000. We, therefore demand opening of new colleges and running existing ones in double shifts.' 'Scenario of PDS too is bleak. It is faced with myriad problems. Lakhs of poor do not have ration cards. FPS owners do not give the due quota to card holders, ration shops do not open regularly and sugar and kerosene are no longer available.', the speakers lamented. 'There is relentless rise in prices of essential edibles. Hence, it is essential to provide 35kg of food grains per month for each family. Sugar, kerosene, pulses, salt and edible oil too must be provided through PDS. In Noida and Ghaziabad, the new BJP State Government has cancelled all existing cards and is not issuing new ones. Popular pressure is necessary to rectify this situation,' they noted. On Minimum wages, the speakers said," Minimum wages in Delhi have been increased significantly to Rs. 13,350 for unskilled workers. However, the State Government is not showing any interest in implementation of the new wage rates. As a result the vast majority of workers are getting Rs. 6,000 to 9,000 only. In Ghaziabad and Noida where minimum wage is just Rs. 7,200 the actual wage is arond Rs. 5,000. The CPI(M) has demanded announcement of wages equivalent to those in Delhi as well as implementation of minimum wages in Delhi.' Speakers were very critical of betrayal of the promises to create two crore new jobs that was made by the BJP in its election campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. 'Government figures have revealed a fall in employment figures in some sectors. Demonetisation has led to loss of thousands of jobs in the NCR, especially in the unorganized sector. The demands for stable employment and unemployment dole are very relevant and must be fought for', they remarked. Speakers called upon the participants to carry forward the campaign and struggle on the above issues. They also cautioned against the nefarious designs of communal forces. 'The increase in communal and casteist attacks since the advent of the Yogi Government in UP is a danger signal. It has the potential of dividing the struggle on the mass issues like those referred to above and must be consciously combated at every juncture', the speakers observed. UNI SY ADG 2104