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Left parties protest price rise

Special Correspondent

Leaders blame it on budget proposals and speculation in forward trading

— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat and other MPs of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha staging a demonstration against price rise at Parliament House in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: During a daylong agitation within and outside Parliament against price rise, the Left parties on Tuesday demanded restoration of the allocation of subsidised foodgrains to several States, especially Kerala and West Bengal. They said speculation in forward trading was responsible for the recent rise in prices, mainly of essential commodities.

Before both Houses convened for the day, the Left MPs squatted at the main entrance of the Parliament House, holding placards and raising slogans against the government policies that led to price rise. They then spoke on the issue in both Houses during zero hour and walked out.

The West Bengal Left Front Committee submitted a memorandum, signed by its chairman Biman Bose, to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Left parties then held a mass dharna, addressed by their leaders, in the national capital.

Raising the matter in the Lok Sabha, Rup Chand Pal (CPI-M) wanted Dr. Singh to come out with a statement on price rise.

Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) said the prices of all essential commodities went up after the budget presentation. The budget and economic reforms were solely responsible, he said, adding the Finance Minister had failed to control prices.

The two members described the reduction in the allocation of wheat and rice to West Bengal and Kerala as “political victimisation.”

In the Rajya Sabha, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) raised three points. First, he demanded an immediate ban on forward trading in 25 commodities as proposed by a Parliamentary Standing Committee.

Second, “at a time when price rise is eating into the vitals of the economy,” the allocation of foodgrains under the public distribution system was reduced to several States. West Bengal and Kerala, in particular, had their allocation cut by 82 and 44 per cent. He also opposed the removal of above poverty line cardholders as that move would “cripple” the PDS.

All CPI(M) members later left the House.

Rural electrification

The West Bengal Left Front Committee memorandum, besides reiterating these points, referred to the problems in implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, the slow pace of rural electrification, re-imposition of import duty on naphtha and refugee repatriation.

The mass rally was addressed by Mr. Biman Bose, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party leaders Debabrata Biswas and Abani Roy, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat, D. Raja (CPI) and A. Vijayaraghavan (CPI-M).

The speakers sought a reduction in customs and excise duties on oil imports so that the retail prices of petrol and diesel were not raised, and demanded stringent action against hoarding of essential commodities.

Responding to the Left charge, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi quoted Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee that of the Rs. 70,000 crore invested by the United Progressive Alliance government in various projects in States, West Bengal alone accounted for Rs. 20,000 crore. He accused the Left of raising the bogey of step-motherly treatment by the Centre for decades.

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