Date:26/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/26/stories/2008042659741200.htm

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Curtail private procurement: Left

Vinay Kumar

Criticises PMO statement asking parties not to indulge in “scaremongering”

— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

AIRING VIEWS: Left leaders D. Raja (left), Debabrata Biswas, Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury (right), after attending a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of price rise at the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat, who led a Left delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday, said it wanted immediate measures to curb the spiralling costs of essential commodities.

“We have placed our demands before the Prime Minister and hope the government will take immediate steps to implement them,” he told reporters after the meeting here.

Asked about the Prime Minister’s response, he said Dr. Singh assured the delegation that its demands would be considered.

The measures suggested included strengthening of the Public Distribution System by universalising it and removing the cuts in supply of foodgrains to States under the PDS, and inclusion of 15 essential items such as pulses, edible oil and sugar in the PDS.

Ban futures trading

The Left parties wanted curbs imposed on procurement of foodgrains from farmers by private companies and traders, and a ban on forward and futures trading in 25 essential commodities as recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution.

The Left leaders also sought a cut in customs and excise duties on oil and reduction in the retail prices of petrol and diesel.

They demanded stringent action against hoarding of essential commodities and strengthening of the Essential Commodities Act to empower State governments to deal with hoarding and black marketing.

As for the present requirement of declaration of foodgrains stocks of 50,000 tonnes or more held in godowns and warehouses, they said it should be fixed at 10,000 tonnes.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI national secretary D. Raja, Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas and RSP leader Abani Roy were present.

Reacting to the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office statement — issued after the meeting — which asked political parties not to indulge in “scaremongering” on the issue of price rise, Mr. Yechury told reporters: “If it means not raising people’s issues, we cannot take such an irresponsible step being a political party.”

Senior CPI(M) leader and MP Basudeb Acharia was also critical of the government’s approach to handling price rise. It was “dithering and was reluctant to take any action.”

Mr. Bardhan said price rise was the “most worrying” issue which affected all sections. “When we draw government’s attention to this problem and make concrete suggestions, are we indulging in scaremongering?”

“Insulting statement”

He described the PMO statement as “most insulting” to the Left parties. “I refuse to accept charges made in the statement; they [government] will have to pay a heavy price. The government should not take Left parties for granted. It is yet to go through a number of hurdles. When the government does something good, we acknowledge it. When it rebuffed the U.S. spokesman’s statement on Iran, did we not say it was correct?”

Mr. Raja said price rise was not a result of “politicisation but a harsh reality facing the people. The government should take steps to mitigate the people’s problems.”

Mr. Bardhan announced that from May 1 to 15, the CPI would hold a hundred mass rallies across the country to focus on price rise.