Statesman News Service
MALDA, Sept. 7: The All India Forward Bloc has started campaigning in Malda for the proposed rallies in Siliguri and the other in Kolkata against ‘infiltration of big investment in retail trade'. Rallies in Siliguri and Kolkata would be held on 10 and 11 September respectively against direct foreign investment in retail trades. The leaders of the AIFB have also blamed the Central government for hike in prices of rice, pulses and edible oil. The leaders claimed that the huge scale of capital investment in retail trade would affect small farmers, small traders, hawkers, shopkeepers, suppliers, agents, and workers in cold storage and rice mills. “Millions of people in this sector would lose their means of livelihood as a result of this investment,” they said. According to them, workers in 500 rice mills and 400 cold storages in the state would lose their jobs. “If this investment is allowed nearly 10 lakh people earning livelihood from these sectors would be uprooted from their jobs,” the AIFB leaders said. Besides, around 50 lakh people in the state are dependent on local haat and markets in the rural areas dealing with agro products. Nearly 10 lakh people are engaged in these sectors as labourers.Criticising the Big Bazaar Concept the leaders said that nearly 50 lakh small grocery shop owners would have to shut down their business because of the retail business.
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