Sharad Pawar puts the onus on states
Minister appeals to states to take price rise issue seriously
With the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre under attack from the Opposition for the spiralling prices of food-grains and other essential commodities, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday put the ball in the State Governments’ court.
Addressing the national convention of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Pawar said it would be difficult to control the soaring prices of food grains and other essential commodities if the State Governments did not do its bit and cooperate with the Centre.
“My appeal to all State Governments is that they should take the issue of price rise very seriously to protect the interest of the consumers, otherwise it will be difficult,” he said.
In a resolution on economic affairs adopted at the convention, the NCP also stressed on more interventions by the State Governments to control the soaring prices. The party expressed hope that the policies of the government would ensure that rise in the prices of certain essential food commodities would definitely be brought under control.
Under fire
Pawar, who also holds the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio in the UPA ministry, has of late been criticised both by the Opposition as well as the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
The Parliament last week witnessed protests by the Opposition and other parties over the issue of price-rise. “Although soaring prices is a global phenomenon, the government is making determined efforts to contain the prices of food grains and essential commodities,” Pawar said at the NCP convention. He acknowledged that the unprecedented rise in prices of essential commodities have “created serious difficulty for the people”.
He said while the government was providing substantial amount of subsidy, some of the states were also providing additional subsidies to provide cereals and pulses to common people at affordable prices.
Stating that the UPA government had at the very outset of his second tenure faced the ‘grave problem’ of drought, Pawar said the government had made all possible efforts and brought down the inflation despite the global recession.
