Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) Threatening to launch a nationwide agitation against “unbearable” increase in prices of essential commodities, Left parties Saturday said the “callous decision” of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of hiking fuel prices has led to the sky-rocketing of prices in the country.
In joint statement by its top leaders, the communists urged the government to revoke the petrol and diesel price increase and prohibit futures trading in all food related items.

“The increase in the prices of essential commodities, particularly of food items, has become unbearable for the people,” they said in the statement signed by Communist Party of India-Marxist’s (CPI-M) Prakash Karat, CPI’s A.B. Bardhan, Forward Bloc’s Debabrata Biswas and RSP’s T.J. Chandrachoodan.

“The prices of all pulses have shot up to such an extent, with some varieties priced between Rs.80 and Rs.100 per kg, that the common people cannot afford them any more. The prices of edible oil, vegetables, rice, wheat and other food items have also been increasing without respite,” the statement said.

“The Left parties have decided to jointly conduct an anti-price rise agitation to demand that the government take immediate and effective steps to curb price rise of essential commodities,” said the statement.

The Left leaders said the prospects of drought in many states due to deficient monsoon will further put pressure on the prices of food items.

They urged the government to provide dal and edible oil at subsidised rates through the public distribution system and revamp the public distribution system by expanding the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and restore the allocation for the Above Poverty Line (APL) categories as an interim measure towards universalisation of Public Distribution System (PDS).