Social welfare scheme cuts will widen rich-poor gap: CITU

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) today claimed that a cut in social welfare schemes will further widen the disparity between the rich and the poor.
"Fifty per cent of allocations on Anganwadi, Mid-Day Meals and ASHA (health activists) were cut in the budget, cutting expenditure on the poor and stopping 50 per cent of money going to their homes," CITU general secretary Tapan Sen said here.
He said allocations in the MGNREGA were slashed, while the government reduced subsidy on fertiliser, affecting both farming and non-farming people.
"(Reports say) three of the top 10 richest industrialists are from India... The wealth of corporations have increased by 400 per cent, but the disparity between the poor and the rich has widened further," Sen claimed.

"Neo-liberalisation is in operation," he said while pitching for acceleration in "class struggle" to "push back" the capitalists.
He alleged that despite so much allurement for investments there was no employment generating investments and it was discussed in the CITU's four-day General Council, which ended here today.