Wrong policies of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, rampant corruption among its Ministers and bad governance are responsible for price rise in the country, said Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari, while addressing an anti-price rise rally at the Ramlila grounds here on Wednesday.
The rally, the first under the leadership of Mr. Gadkari, was one of the largest by the party in Delhi and brought together the entire leadership in a show of strength.
Mr. Gadkari claimed the Congress-led government had not been able to give anything to the country. “Today we are facing spiralling prices of essential commodities, witnessing a large number of suicides by farmers and rampant corruption. The common man is baffled by the high cost of living and the Central government hasn't been able to do anything about the situation despite several promises.”
The BJP president lambasted the government for the rise in the number of the poor. “The number of poor are increasing in the country. While the world economy has been hit by inflation, India seems to be the worst affected,” he said, adding that so far, no Congress leader had given a convincing answer on the issue.
The large crowds occasionally raised slogans: “mehngai se ladna hai, Sansad chalna hai” (We have to fight inflation, march to Parliament) and “mehnat ki kamai kha gai mahngai” (High prices have eaten the fruits of labour). The party colour was spread all over in the form of banners, posters, hoardings and flags.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said: “food prices in India have risen by as much as 20 per cent over the past year. We want to tell the government that if it can't bring the prices down it should quit.”
“Price rise in India is not an outcome of any natural calamity, it is the outcome of the wrong policies of the government. The cost of pulses, milk, sugar, wheat, rice and vegetables have gone up sharply, making it difficult for the common man to maintain a decent standard of living.”
Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani said: “The rich are becoming richer, while the middle class and the poor can't cope with the rising prices. Rising corruption among the Central government leadership is one of the main reasons why the government is unable to keep a check on the prices. This rally is a warning to the Central government, if it is unable to curb price rise, it should quit.”
Senior leaders Rajnath Singh, Murli Manohar, Venkaiah Naidu and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley were among those present.
Following the rally, the senior leaders boarded a “rath” for proceeding towards Parliament as the second part of the protest. However, having been under the sun for over two hours, Mr. Advani, Dr. Joshi, Mr. Jaitley, Mr. Singh and Vasundhara Raje were not able to go very far on the rath, which was repeatedly stopped by the police to keep the crowds under control.
Mr. Gadkari fainted while heading towards Parliament to court arrest. After he was revived by colleagues, party leaders decided to whisk him away in a car.
Soon after this, Mr. Advani, Dr. Joshi and Mr. Jaitley also got off the rath and left in their cars. Later, party national general-secretary Vijay Goel and S.S. Ahluwalia led the rath all the way to the Parliament Street police station, where the party leaders and workers courted arrest.
Showing posts with label price rice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label price rice. Show all posts
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Food prices to ease next fiscal: Sharad Pawar
Food prices are expected to decline in the next fiscal on the back of higher farm output and the only worry then for the government would be on storage, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has said.
He, however, said that the country would remain import dependent when it came to pulses and edible oils for the next 10 years.
On the possibility of prices coming down in the next financial year beginning April 1, Mr. Pawar told in an interview to CNN-IBN news channel: “100 per cent. In 2011-12 the problem which the government of India will have to worry about (is) what to do and where to store.”
Food inflation touched 17.40 per cent for the week ended January 16 on account of high prices of vegetables and pulses.
On controlling prices of pulses, the minister said: “Pulses we have to import, edible oil we have to import even for another 10 years or so. Because day by day, demand is growing, purchasing power of the weaker section is also improving.”
India imported a record 8.1 million tonnes of edible oils in 2008-09 season (November-October). The country imports 3-4 million tonnes of pulses every year to meet domestic demand.
The prices of essential food items have risen sharply in last one year, particularly of sugar, pulses and vegetables.
Sugar prices have more than doubled since January 2009 and is ruling at Rs 43 a kg in the national capital. Pulses are ruling high, with arhar being sold at about Rs 85 a kg.
India faced a severe drought this year affecting over 300 districts that resulted in loss of Kharif production. Rice output is estimated to decline by 13 million tonnes in Kharif.
The Centre has taken various steps to curb rising prices and give relief to consumers, including abolition of import duties on sugar, rice, pulses and crude edible oils.
He, however, said that the country would remain import dependent when it came to pulses and edible oils for the next 10 years.
On the possibility of prices coming down in the next financial year beginning April 1, Mr. Pawar told in an interview to CNN-IBN news channel: “100 per cent. In 2011-12 the problem which the government of India will have to worry about (is) what to do and where to store.”
Food inflation touched 17.40 per cent for the week ended January 16 on account of high prices of vegetables and pulses.
On controlling prices of pulses, the minister said: “Pulses we have to import, edible oil we have to import even for another 10 years or so. Because day by day, demand is growing, purchasing power of the weaker section is also improving.”
India imported a record 8.1 million tonnes of edible oils in 2008-09 season (November-October). The country imports 3-4 million tonnes of pulses every year to meet domestic demand.
The prices of essential food items have risen sharply in last one year, particularly of sugar, pulses and vegetables.
Sugar prices have more than doubled since January 2009 and is ruling at Rs 43 a kg in the national capital. Pulses are ruling high, with arhar being sold at about Rs 85 a kg.
India faced a severe drought this year affecting over 300 districts that resulted in loss of Kharif production. Rice output is estimated to decline by 13 million tonnes in Kharif.
The Centre has taken various steps to curb rising prices and give relief to consumers, including abolition of import duties on sugar, rice, pulses and crude edible oils.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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.
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.
