Date:20/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/20/stories/2008042053540300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Price rise: TDP, Left parties slam Centre

Staff Reporter

Kakinada: The TDP and Left parties slammed the Central Government for its failure to control the rising prices of essential commodities and demanded urgent action to overcome the crisis. Otherwise, the prices will escalate further making inflation control almost impossible. India is currently on the brink of joining the countries which are mired in food crisis.

Speaking at a dharna organised by the opposition parties in protest against inflation, at the Collector office here on Saturday, TDP Polit Buro member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said that the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) had warned that 39 countries would be facing food crisis due to rising prices and a fall in agricultural production but the Indian Government neglected the situation. The government has to therefore blame itself for the fiasco but not the market forces which could be regulated by timely policy measures.

The FAO had forecast that food prices would reach unprecedented levels by 2015 but the government has no proper mechanism to deal with the contingency. Instead of taking long-term measures , the government is confining itself to fiscal initiatives which will be useful only to some extent. CPI (M) leader D. Subba Rao, M. Satyanarayana of CPI, TDP leaders Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, Metla Satyanarayana Rao, Vanga Geeta and G. Rambabu, AITUC leader K.Krishna Rao and others took part in the protest.