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Left’s concerns over price rise haven’t been addressed: Yechury

Vinay Kumar

“Burden on common man has not eased, statistics do not reveal true picture”

‘There is no downward trend in prices of essentials’
CPI: proposals of Chidambaram, Pawar to tackle prices do not reflect a sense of urgency

NEW DELHI: The Left parties on Thursday were dissatisfied with the government’s proposed measures to control inflation, saying prices of foodgrains and edible oil were still on the higher side and the burden on the common man had not eased.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters that the concerns of the Left parties had not been addressed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in his reply in Parliament to the discussion on rising prices.

Asked for his comments on a slight dip in inflation, Mr. Yechury said the burden on the common man had not eased and the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was not the true reflection of the high prices of foodgrains.

‘WPI is a misnomer’

The band of food articles was only 22 per cent in the WPI. “So, WPI is a misnomer. There is no downward trend in prices of essential commodities,” he said, adding that statistics did not reveal the true picture.

The CPI(M) Polit Bureau member reiterated the demand of the Left parties for banning futures trading in essential commodities, strengthening of the Public Distribution System, restructuring of the tax structure on petroleum products and restoring to the original quantities the cut in food grain quota to States. Some of these issues had only been touched perfunctorily by the Agriculture Minister.

On hoarding

He said the Left parties had urged the Prime Minister to hold a meeting with the Chief Ministers to ensure strict implementation of the Essential Commodities Act so that action could be taken against hoarders and blackmarketeers. Similarly, the Agriculture Minister could call a meeting of State Agriculture Ministers to discuss measures for controlling the spiralling prices of food grains.

CPI leaders Gurudas Dasgupta and D. Raja said the proposed measures, as outlined in Parliament by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Mr. Pawar, did not reflect any “sense of urgency” on the part of the government to tackle the situation arising out of rising prices.

“External factors”

Mr. Raja said “external factors” were also responsible for the crisis-like situation. The government had not taken adequate steps to tide over the crisis.

The Bharatiya Janata Party was crying hoarse over rising prices, but the party was not launching any measures such as drive against hoarders, he said.

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