Telangana State secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) Chada Venkat Reddy has alleged that the guidelines issued by the Centre on the relaxations in the orange and green zones of COVID-19 containment areas is making it clear the Centre’s interests on mop up tax revenue and not on the relief measures to the needy sections.
In a statement issued here on Saturday, Mr. Venkat Reddy said while extending the lockdown till May 17, the Centre had indicated that movement of vehicles such as cabs, private cars and bikes would be allowed in orange zones and resuming liquor sales and movement of buses in the green zones. The Centre’s move, apparently taken with the pressure from some State governments, makes it clear that the governments want revenue come what may.
He pointed out that lives of workers in the unorganised sector were in bad shape due to loss of employment but the government had not initiated any special assistance to construction workers, auto drivers, artisans and others. The employees in the private education sector were also suffering badly with no payment of salaries by the managements for the last three-four months, Mr. Venkat Reddy said.
