New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Thursday called for a collective effort to tackle the issue of price rise, but there were fewer than 35 MPs present in the Lok Sabha to listen to the matter.
“We have to improve agricultural production. We have to work together,” said Pawar in his reply in the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the rise in prices of essential commodities.

The minister said the government was “quite serious” about the price hike.

Urging state governments to “streamline” the Public Distribution System (PDS) to control the prices of essential commodities, Pawar said the Universal PDS scheme could not be implemented properly this year as 299 districts of the country were hit by drought.

He accused state governments of not taking strong action against blackmarketers who are also responsible for the price rise. The states have been empowered to take action against blackmarketers, he told the house.

He said the country’s agriculture production during the kharif (summer sowing) season was hit badly due to the drought.

The prices of onions had shot up because of the drought in the entire onion belt in Maharashtra, he said.

West Bengal’s potato production was also hit by a disease, the minister said.

Pawar said the government has the responsibility to protect the interest of both the farmers and the consumers.