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Opposition parties express concern over hike in prices

Elders in Parliament today cautioned against a hike in public distribution system, or PDS, issue prices saying that it was the responsibility of the government to protect the poorest sections from the onslaught of market economy.

Raising a discussion on the issue, Kapil Sibal of the Congress accused the government of representing the interests of the rich and said the increase of prices of foodgrains, cooking gas and kerosene had dealt a blow on the poor and the underprivileged.

The government should strive for consensus among the political parties on the issue, he said.

He questioned the government's claim that the inflation was the lowest ever and said the list of essential goods was enlarged with the inclusion of luxury items like aerated water, electronic items and other consumer durables.

According to him the inflation on food articles alone worked out to 2.7 per cent last month.

Anant Dave of the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, disputed Sibal's contention and said the government had hiked the support price for wheat and rice to help the farmers.

The Left parties, however, said that rising rural unemployment and price-hike in essential items were alarming. The price rise mechanism was an instrument to liquidate the PDS mechanism that had helped the country evolve a fair distribution network.

"The government should also be concerned about mounting food-stocks and the low growth rate in agricultural production. It is time to think if the country had given up the idea of 'welfare state'," they said.

Ramendra Kumar Yadav Ravi of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, or RJD, said that even the partners in the coalition government are unhappy at the price rise of the PDS items. This revealed the government failure to protect the poor, he added.

UNI

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