The CPI on Monday lambasted the UPA Government for its "failure" to contain rising prices of essential commodities and asked it to take effective measures without delay.
CPI, in a resolution passed at its three-day National Council meeting, underway here since yesterday, charged that the Government had no political will to deal with the rising prices. "Today we are witnessing price rise as the most burning issue. Congress led UPA government has failed to control prices of essential commodities", party's National Secretary D Raja told reporters.
CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan, in his analysis on the political and economic situation, termed the UPA government as "anti-people and anti-poor". The Left parties have decided to stage a protest rally in Delhi against price rise during March when the budget session begins, Raja said.
"The government earlier maintained that rise in food prices was due to inflationary trend. But now inflation is coming down.
Then why are prices of food items not coming down? Raja asked. The meeting demanded that the Centre strengthen the Essential Commodities Act by checking hoarding and black marketing and ban futures trading.
CPI wanted the government to revive agriculture and augment agricultural production, ban export of food articles and stop easy bank credit to unscrupulous food traders.
The party protested the increase of issue price by the Central Government,which has cast an "additional burden" on state governments, and demanded its withdrawal, Raja said.
The meeting felt that the proposed Food Security Act had several shortcomings and suggested that it be placed for a public debate."The government bodies includng Planning Commission have differences on the criteria to define poverty" Raja said and alleged that through the Act, the government was trying to usurp states' right to fix below poverty line (BPL) and APL norms.
"There are several state governments which are providing foodgrains at Rs two and Re one per kg.The proposed legislation will enhance the price to Rs three per kg and reduce the quantum from 35 kgs to 25 kgs," he said.
"The Congress led UPA government talks about inclusive development.But what it does is to exclude large number of poor people from the Public Distribution System," the CPI said in its resolution.
Replying to a query on the Kerala Government's opposition to National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the '2005 bus burning case', Raja said "the LDF government has nothing to hide. But nothing should be done which would encroach upon the rights of the state government and to undermine the federal structure".
The issue of illegal mining and use of its money in Karnataka political arena will also be debated at the meeting, Raja said. PTI
