Opposition steps up offensive on price hike

Sensing an opportunity to expose the lack of unity in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on the issue of hike in the taxes on petroleum products, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Opposition is drawing up plans to embarrass the government.

The BJP also plans to take Opposition unity on this issue to a new plane even as the Left parties decided to step up pressure on the government leading to its March 12 rally in the capital against rise in the prices of essential commodities.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the “arrogance of power” displayed in his assertion that there would be no rollback of the increased taxes on petroleum products announced in the budget.

On Wednesday the party would plan its floor strategy on this issue and other subjects at a meeting of National Democratic Alliance leaders.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said the party did not accept the argument offered by the government to justify the hike in petroleum products.

In the context of the rise in prices of food items, he said, the effect of the hike on petrol and diesel prices would be felt and cannot be minimised. “People will be put to great suffering if there is further rise in prices, of food items in particular,” he told The Hindu.

As for the Opposition strategy in Parliament, he said while the CPI(M) was trying to bring non-Congress secular parties together, on the issue of price rise, the entire Opposition was agitated and last week’s development in Parliament was an expression of that.

After Tuesday’s strike in Kerala against the hike in fuel prices, the Left Front will hold week-long demonstrations across West Bengal. Between March 3 and 9, the Left parties will conduct processions in various places.

Separately, trade unions across the political spectrum have decided to go on a mass agitation in different parts of the country in the form of road and rail blockades, and satyagraha to protest the rise in prices of essential commodities and now the hike in petroleum products.

All India Trade Union Congress general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta, MP, told The Hindu, that for the first time all trade unions including those affiliated to the Congress and the BJP would agitate on March 5. Lakhs of workers will offer arrest in metropolitan and industrial centres in the country.

Cut motion

The BJP said the party wants to use a cut motion during the vote on the Finance Bill in the second part of the budget session less as a tool to defeat the government and more to show up the fissures in the UPA as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Trinamool Congress have both demanded a rollback of the tax hike.

The party is hoping that Opposition unity would take place automatically and on the spur of the moment as it materialised when one party after another walked out during the budget presentation on February 26 in the Lok Sabha.

Govt. promises to tackle problem of rising food prices

Admitting that there has been an “unhappy pressure” on the prices of food grains and products, the Government on Monday promised to tackle the problem even as it expressed confidence that it will aim at a growth rate of 8 per cent in the coming fiscal and 9 per cent in the next.

Declaring that the common man is at the core of the Government’s promise of faster growth, President Pratibha Patil on Monday said that highest importance was being given to ensuring relief to the common man on food prices.

In her customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament marking the beginning of the Budget session, she said the aam aadmi had to be protected against the ravages of the worst ever global economic crisis since the Great Depression and against the failure of the monsoon in large parts of the country.

The President, who spoke at length on a variety of issues, made it clear that India was ready to explore a meaningful relationship with Pakistan if it “seriously addresses the threat of terrorism and takes effective steps to prevent terrorist activities against India”.

Recalling Jawaharlal Nehru’s words that “the service of India means... ending poverty and ignorance... and inequality of opportunity”, she said, “Our country stands at a historic turning point. Never before were we so close as we are today to realising our national aspirations...”

On the issue of internal security, Ms. Patil said the government remains vigilant against all forms of challenges posed by terrorism.

“Zero tolerance of terrorist activities is our principled policy. We have to keep constant watch and innovate against global terrorist groups,” she said.

The overall internal security, law and order, and the communal situation remained largely under control last year, she said.

Though infiltration of terrorists from across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir has gone up, she said the security situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the North East.

However, Left wing extremism continues to be a significant cause of concern, the President said.

Turning to the issue of rising prices, she noted that while the government was able to avert any threat to food security, there has been an “unhappy pressure” on the prices of food grains and products.

At the same time, Ms. Patil said they were also a sort of reflection of the growing purchasing power in the countryside.

“They are also to some extent a reflection of the implementation of our schemes of inclusive growth involving payment of higher procurement prices to our farmers and the impact of higher public spending on programmes of rural development, which have successfully raised incomes in rural areas,” the President said.

“Higher prices were inevitable given the shortfall in domestic production and prevailing high prices of rice, cereals and edible oils globally,” the President said.

Conveying her heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the recent terrorist act in Pune, she said these “cowardly acts” strengthen our resolve to meet with added vigour the challenge posed by such violence.

She also mentioned in this regard the “senseless violence” indulged in by Left wing extremists who in their recent attacks in West Bengal killed a large number of innocent people.

Ms. Patil said the government has also given a call to Left wing extremists to abjure violence and come for talks.

“Our plan to strengthen civil administration and bring the fruits of inclusive development to all would continue with determination,” she said.

To strengthen the security apparatus and equip the country to meet the grave challenge posed by terrorism, the President said her government has taken several new measures, including strengthening of the state and district police machinery and Central paramilitary forces and operationalisation of National Investigation Agency.

Other measures which have been taken include establishment of four NSG hubs to ensure quick and effective response to any possible terror attack, augmentation of Intelligence Bureau and strengthening of the Multi-Agency Centre in the IB to enable it to function on a round-the-clock basis.

Referring to the armed forces, Ms. Patil said the nation was proud of them and her government is “fully committed” to their modernization.

“We will accord the highest priority to modernisation programmes to equip our armed forces with the required weaponry, equipment and platforms. The successful launch of the Agni-III missile is a shining example of the capabilities of our scientists and engineers who deserve full praise,” she said.

Efforts to enhance our technological self-reliance received a new impetus with the commencement of the handing over of the main battle tank, Arjun, to the Indian Army, she said.

The President said the Government is committed to ensuring early passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill which was introduced in Rajya Sabha in May 2008. “I would urge you to accord special attention to this critical proposal,” she told the MPs.

Besides, she said, two bills for Constitutional amendment to provide 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and urban local bodies have already been introduced and it is hoped that these can be passed during this session.

Asserting that unity and social harmony of the country is the best answer to the terrorists and their divisive designs, she said her government is “committed deeply” to protecting the social fabric.

“To that end, government proposes to move for the early passage of the Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005, in this session of Parliament,” she said.

As regards education, the President said the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, which makes education a fundamental right of every child in the age group of six to 14 years, was notified and will be effective from April 1, 2010.

Ms. Patil said the Government is committed to bring a paradigm shift in the education sector based on expansion, inclusion and excellence and will soon set up an overarching body to regulate higher education and research in India.

“Government is also endeavouring to bring forward an appropriate legislation to facilitate participation of globally renowned and quality academic institutions in our higher education sector, and bringing in foreign education providers for vocational training and skill development,” the President said.

Underlining that investment in education is critical for accelerated inclusive growth, Ms. Patil said, the Government has made substantial investments in primary education through the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Midday Meal Programme.

It is also moving towards internalisation of education at the secondary level with the new Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan.

The upcoming Commonwealth Games also got a mention in the President’s address with Patil saying efforts were in full swing to make the sporting event a grand success.

“Preparations for the event are at an advanced stage. Every effort will be made to ensure a befitting and successful conduct of the Games,” she said.

On the rural sector, she said more than four crore households have benefitted from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act during current fiscal with more than half being from the marginalised sections.

“My government is committed to give the aam aadmi maximum access to gas and petroleum products. A new scheme of rural LPG distribution namely, ‘Rajiv Gandhi Gramin LPG Vitarak Yojana’ has been launched,” Ms. Patil said.

Ms. Patil also said the government was committed towards a substantial expansion in capacity of Indian Railways along with increasing speed of passenger and freight traffic and improving safety.

Ms. Patil said commencement of train services in the Kashmir Valley from Qazigund to Baramulla demonstrates the Government’s commitment to the development of all corners of our country.

As part of the ambitious expansion of the country’s nuclear energy programme, Ms. Patil said approval was accorded for the construction of additional Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors and sites for setting up Light Water Reactors.

“Following the availability of imported fuel as a result of the opening of international civil nuclear cooperation, commercial production has commenced in two units of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project, and one more unit is expected to begin commercial production soon,” she said.

New agreements for cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy were concluded with Russia, Mongolia, Namibia, Argentina and the United Kingdom, while others are under negotiation, she said.

CM-Centre meet on Food prices on January 27

The Centre will hold a meeting with Chief Ministers on January 27 on the issue of surging prices of essential commodities, which continued to be costly, despite food inflation easing a bit.

The meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, official sources said here.

Earlier, the states had demanded that the Centre convenes a meeting with Chief Ministers to devise a combined strategy to bring down the rising food prices.

The Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had said that the states were not lifting food stocks allotted to them for the purpose of public distribution system at a satisfactory level.

The meeting assumes importance as food prices continued to be high, even as their rate of rise has come down during the recent weeks.

As per the data released today, food inflation declined to 16.81 during the week ended January 9, from 17.28 a week ago.