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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Nine parties to launch nationwide agitation against price rise

Nine parties to launch nationwide agitation against price rise

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published Published on Jan 21, 2011   modified Modified on Jan 21, 2011

“Government callous to plight of people groaning under spiralling prices of food items”

Nine political parties, including four Left parties, on Thursday announced a week-long nationwide agitation against price rise. The United Progressive Alliance government was callous to the plight of people groaning under spiralling prices of food items, they alleged.

“We have decided to jointly conduct a week-long agitation against the price rise from February 3 to 9. During the week, there will be demonstrations, dharnas, rallies and picketing of Central government offices, with a mass dharna on the last day,'' Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said after a meeting of party leaders.

Besides demanding immediate steps to check the price rise, the parties would press the government to take steps such as ending forward trading in food and essential commodities, universalising the public distribution system, taking firm measures against hoarding, paying remunerative prices to farmers and giving inputs at reasonable cost, ending deregulation of petroleum products and rolling back the budgetary hikes on petro products and not allowing foreign capital in retail trade.

“An iniquitous tax”

In a joint release, leaders of the parties said while food inflation remained unbearably high, a general inflation of 8.5 per cent was an “iniquitous tax” on people. While people suffered under price rise, the country was witnessing rampant corruption and plunder of resources.

“Yet, the UPA government remains callous to the plight of the people. False assurances are given that the prices will come down within a short period. The Ministers are giving differing and contradictory statements regarding the price rise and how to tackle it,” the release said.

They charged the government with not taking any effective measures to curb the price rise. On the contrary, it pursued policies that fuelled inflation. Since deregulation, petrol prices were hiked seven times, leading to 20 per cent rise in the price. The government had not stopped speculation through forward trading in food items and essential commodities, and export-import measures for commodities such as onions had fuelled the price rise. This only helped private trading companies to make huge profits.

The price rise had hit farmers and in many areas, they continued to be in distress and committed suicide. “Neither do they get remunerative prices nor compensated adequately for crop losses. The Central government had not extended adequate assistance to meet the losses due to unseasonal rains,” the release said.

FDI in retail trade

Coming out strongly against the move to allow 51 per cent FDI in retail trade, the leaders said this would mean loss of livelihood for lakhs of shopkeepers and traders.

Besides, Mr. Karat, those who attended the meeting included Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), A.B. Bardhan and Atul Kumar Anjan (CPI), Debabrata Biswas and G. Devarajan (AIFB), Abani Roy (RSP), Nama Nageswara Rao (TDP), M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), Ajit Singh (RLD). JD(S) president H.D. Deve Gowda , who is also a signatory to the statement, was not present since he was away attending a party function.


The Hindu, 21 January, 2011, http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/21/stories/2011012165811600.htm


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