In a bid to mount pressure on the state and the Centre before panchayat and Lok Sabha polls on several issues including adopting of the anti-labour policy and privatisation of several PSUs, Left Front allies along with trade unions are going to organise state-wide movements.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose, in a statement, said that the allies of the Left Front and all trade unions including CITU and INTUC will organise “jail bhoro” (get arrested) movement in all the districts on 20 February.

Senior leaders of the Left Front parties including CPIM, CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc will participate in the “jail bhoro” movement on that day. A senior Left Front leader said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government started privatising the important PSUs including Bridge and Roof, Alloy Steel, Bengal Chemicals, which are located in West Bengal.

He also alleged that the state government has given consent for privatisation of the PSUs, so it is standing as a mute spectator. The Left Front also alleged that the share of the important milk producing factory Mother Dairy was sold at cheap prices to a private owner, which is also a scam.

“The state government is also maintaining silence over the privatisation bid of the Centre mysteriously. Moreover, the condition of the tea gardens is worsening and tea garden labours are dying there. Labourers are suffering a huge crisis following the anti-labour policy of the state and the Centre,” he said.

Meanwhile, DYFI will also launch a “rail roko” movement on Friday against the privatisation of the railway in the name of converting several railway stations into the model stations. DYFI leader Sayandip Mitra said that in the name of railway security, the Centre is going to hand over several infrastructures of the railways to the corporate offices.

DYFI supporters will also squat on the railway tracks of around 70 railway stations to protest against the move. “DYFI demanded that all vacant posts must be filled up with fresh recruitments. Railway has to stop reemploying retired employees and proposal to withdraw eight railway tracks must be cancelled,”said Mr Mitra.