Author: Correspondent
Publication: Free Press Journal
Date: September 7, 2009
URL: http://www.freepressjournal.in//Default.aspx?page=07_09_2009_001.jpg&ed=1014&artHigh=001_011
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has
initiated a bold move to make declaration of wealth by party leaders and workers
mandatory.
A meeting of the party politburo held in New
Delhi on Sunday is learnt to have decided to gather the details of wealth
of all leaders and workers up to the branch level the party will have permanent
machinery to verify the wealth declared by individual leaders, reports in
television channels said. The move is part of the correction course charted
by the party in the wake of the humiliating defeat in the recent Lok Sabha
elections.
Politburo member M K Pandhe told reporters
after the meeting that they had held only pre liminary discussions. The politburo
would meet again on October 11 to finalize the measures.
Pandhe said the party had identified the lavish
lifestyle of some of its leaders and workers as one of the major reasons for
the alienation of voters.
"We will now formulate norms in accordance
with the party ideology for party workers to follow in every sphere of life",
he added. The move will have significant impact in Kerala, since the party
itself is accused of amassing wealth. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had
estimated the wealth of the CPI (M) in the state at Rs.4000 crores during
his term as Finance Minister in the last term of the UPA government.
The party's wealth came under the public scanner
after the CPI (M) launched a series of commercial ventures like a TV channel,
a water theme park, tourist resorts, hospitals, schools and colleges.
This is in addition to large extent of land
the party has acquired in prime locations in cities and towns across the state
for building offices for the party and its feeder organizations.
The party is considered as the single largest
owner of land, buildings, properties and estates in the state.
Besides a multi-crore headquarters with a
1,500-seat centrally airconditioned auditorium, the CPI (M) has built multi-storied
luxurious flats for its leaders and a huge township in a 60-acre complex to
train its cadres.
Apart from the wealth amassed by the party,
the luxurious living of some of its top leaders has also come in for the public
criticism.
The wedding of Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's first son last year had
raised eyebrows in party circles as it was one of the most expensive wedding
ceremonies in the state capital.
The CBI recently looked into the assets of
party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who is facing trial in the SNC Lavalin power
scam. He has allegedly built a luxurious house in his home town and sent his
children abroad for higher studies with the commission he got from the power
deal.
