NEW DELHI: Expressing serious concern over rising prices of all essential commodities, Congress MP from Outer Delhi Sajjan Kumar on Sunday asked his party-led United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre to ban futures trading in commodities to check hoarding and black-marketing of items like wheat, rice, sugar and pulses. He also urged the Delhi Government to invoke the Essential Commodities Act in the Capital to check spiralling prices and penalise hoarders and speculators.

At a press conference here, Mr. Kumar said he has already written to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit urging them to immediately take control of the situation. "A syndicate of traders is hoarding essential items and earning crores of rupees by using the Commodities Stock Exchange on Internet. As a result, the poor and middle class people are suffering the most," he alleged.

According to the Congress MP, the steep hike in prices of essential commodities was "artificial" and the previous Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance Government was to be blamed for it as it was they who allowed futures trading in foodgrains.

"Today, lakhs of tonnes of foodgrains is lying locked in godowns in and around Delhi to enable some wholesale traders charge arbitrary prices," he added.

"The Delhi Government should conduct raids on godowns stocked with wheat, rice, sugar and pulses. The Government should also ensure that foodgrains stocked in godowns are not above a certain limit. Those traders found guilty of hoarding or black-marketing should be severely penalised," he said, adding that only a hike in petrol and diesel prices could not trigger such a massive price increase of essential items.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail