Govt agrees to discuss price rise in Lok Sabha

The speaker would decide on a short duration discussion on price rise during the ongoing Budget Session in Lok Sabha

Apparently bowing to opposition pressure, Government on Monday agreed to a discussion in the Lok Sabha tomorrow on rising prices, an issue that has brought almost the entire Opposition and some key UPA allies together.

A meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Lok Sabha presided by Speaker Meira Kumar saw the government yielding to the demand in the backdrop of the Opposition threat to move an adjournment motion tomorrow if the government failed to hold a discussion on the issue.

“We have agreed for a short duration discussion and now it is for the Speaker to take a decision,” a minister said.

Noting that the government has agreed to break the convention to take up the price rise issue, he said normally the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address is taken up first.

The government’s move has come close on the heels of top opposition leaders, including Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, meeting the Speaker and telling her their intention to move an adjournment motion on the issue if the government did not discuss the issue tomorrow.

Besides Ms. Swaraj, those who met the Speaker were CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta, Basudeb Acharia (CPI(M)), Lalu Prasad (RJD) and Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP).

The issue has received support from major UPA partners like Trinamool Congress and DMK, which have also sought a full-fledged debate on price rise.

The Rajya Sabha too is expected to discuss the issue tomorrow with an opposition leader saying that the House would not be allowed to run if the issue was not taken up.