Marxists’ disciplinary panel to have CC member as its chief

KOLKATA: Setting up a disciplinary commission and formulating ways to combat the Maoist menace in West Bengal were discussed by the CPM central committee during its first day meeting in Kolkata on Thursday.

The polit bureau had on Wednesday decided to set up a disciplinary commission but left the job of selecting its chairman and members to the central committee which is in session here for three days from Thursday.

It was decided that the proposed commission will have six to seven members with a senior central committee member as its chairman. But the party’s central committee members on Thursday spent most of their time discussing Maoist-sponsored terror in Jangalmahal and Lalgarh which has so far claimed 167 lives of CPM workers and leaders.

CPM has taken up a fund-raising drive to help families of those party leaders and workers who died in Maoists attacks. "Of the 167 party workers killed by Maoists, 71 were from West Midnapore district and we have decided to raise funds to help families of our party workers who had to sacrifice their lives to the ultra reds," polit bureau member and state party secretary Biman Bose told reporters.

The Tripura unit of the party has donated Rs 10 lakh to the fund created by the CPM leadership for the benefit of its workers killed by Maoists. Bijan Dhar, secretary of CPM’s Tripura unit had handed over the cheque to state party leadership during the day when the central committee was having its session.

The central committee also opposed the recommendations regarding increasing of price of LPG cylinders and kerosene. A panel appointed by the Centre on Wednesday recommended to increase the price of LPG cylinder by Rs 100 and kerosene oil by Rs 6 per litre.