FDI in retail: CPIM criticises Tarun Gogoi's support

While criticising Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's decision to support 51% FDI in multi-brand retail, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) on Tuesday said any attempt to introduce the concept in the state will affect both farmers and consumers.

"Gogoi has supported the Centre's decision to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail. But any attempt to allow foreign companies to open such shops in Assam will be detrimental to the interest of both farmers and consumers," CPM state secretary Uddhav Barman told reporters here.

Alleging that Gogoi had supported the Centre's stand without going into details regarding cost-benefit analysis, Barman said, "Globally wherever FDI has been allowed into retail segment, there have been monopoly of big companies. This has hurt both traditional shopkeepers and also made products expensive."

There have been news reports that Walmart has purchased land in Guwahati in anticipation of the move. "If true, we oppose such things," he said.

Barman said seven parties, namely CPM, CPI, CPI(ML-Liberation), Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal (Socialist) -- have called for a day-long hartal in Assam on September 20 to oppose the entry of MNCs in multi-brand retail sector.

"We have also called the hartal against the hike in diesel prices, limiting the number of subsidised LPG cylinders and disinvestment in public sector undertakings," he said.

The Assam government had recently announced a one-month ban on bandhs, and so the parties have called for a hartal, Barman added.