CPI-M must attract honest people: Sarkar

Agartala, February 28: The CPI-M's membership in Tripura has risen but "honest, efficient" people must be included in the party, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has said. "Party members have increased in large numbers in Tripura. Most entered the party after 1993. But their quality is not at the expected level," he said here on Friday night.  He urged party leaders to "be more pro-active to improve the quality of the party members". "Honest, efficient and pro-people men and women must be included in the party fold," he said, addressing delegates of the 21st conference of the state unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

He asked party members not to be self-centred. Sarkar, who completes 17 years as chief minister of Tripura on March 6, said youths must be included in the party. "Internet and social media must be effectively used for the betterment of the party," the 66-years-old Marxist leader said.

The four-day conference ended here on Saturday. CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat was among those who spoke at the close-door meet.

The conference dwelt on weeding out corrupt and unpopular elements and unleashing a strong campaign to consolidate the CPI-M's base. It unimously elected an 80-member state committee, including seven new members. Bijan Dhar was re-elected as state secretary for a third consecutive term. "Rectification of party members is on and this is an endless task. Maintaining quality of membership is also a non-stop endeavour," said Dhar, also a CPI-M central committee member. He said after the last state conference in 2012, the number of party members rose to 87,691 from 76,636 despite 1,391 party members getting killed. Another 707 members were expelled from the party on numerous grounds and 7,072 members did not renew their membership. Dhar said around 26 percent of the 87,691 CPI-M members in Tripura were women. tiolly, 12 percent of the 10,65,406 members (as per 2013 data) were women. (IANS)