Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Human chain against spiralling prices

PHOTO: RAJU V.

Chain reaction: Activists of the Communist Party of India forming a human chain at Lenin Centre in Vijayawada on Sunday to protest against rise in prices of essential commodities. —

VIJAYAWADA: Activists of the Communist Party of India (CPI) formed a human chain at Lenin Centre on Sunday in protest against the spiralling prices of essential commodities. They raised slogans against the Central and State Governments for their failure to bring down the prices.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, CPI city secretary K. Subba Raju said the party was organising various programmes from May 1 to 15 to protest against the governments’ handling of the soaring prices.

He alleged that the State and Central Governments remained mute spectators to people’s sufferings on account of the prices of essential commodities skyrocketing. Their liberal policies were encouraging the middlemen to create artificial scarcity, he said.

The Rs.2-a-kg rice being sold through the public distribution system was not catering to the needs of common people. Many were not able to purchase it, as it was sold only from April 5 to 19, he said, demanding that the rice should be sold throughout the month.

Mr. Subba Raju wanted the government not to levy any taxes on essential commodities. In addition, it should fix a ceiling on stockpiling of essential commodities by the traders so as to ensure that illegal hoarding of the goods would not take place.

Vijayawada (West) MLA Sk. Nasar Vali, former Mayor Tadi Sakunthala, CPI floor leader in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation general body P. Gowtham Reddy and corporators were present.

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Krishna district secretary V. Umamaheswara Rao strongly condemned US President George W Bush’s statement that the rising prosperity of middle class in India was responsible for spiralling prices. Mr. Rao said that the US was utilising the foodgrains for producing the bio-diesel. Mr. Bush was attempting to cover their anti-food security action by blaming Indians, he said.

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