By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Saturday hit back at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi after he said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had not fulfilled its election promise to provide subsidised food grain to the poor.
“There is a lack of collective vision and a unified voice in tackling the issue (of price rise). The states are ready to take proactive steps, but there is lack of vision and action on the part of the central government,” Modi said on the sidelines of a conference of chief ministers to discuss rise in prices of essential commodities.
Citing records, Modi said 83 percent raids against hoarders had taken place in states ruled by non-UPA parties.
He said the central government’s complaint of lack of action against hoarders concerned the UPA-ruled states. “There is need to encourage them (UPA-ruled states) to work in this direction,” he said.
The Gujarat chief minister said the Congress had not fulfilled its election promise of providing food grain to the poor at Rs,3 a kg and starting community kitchens in the urban areas. Modi also spoke of “success” of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in tackling price rise during its term.
Official sources said that Manmohan Singh intervened to say that the Congress was aware of its poll promises.
The sources said Mukherjee also told Modi not to politicise the issue of price rice. He said the chief ministers and the central ministers had come together to solve a problem and many had spoken of steps taken to boost agriculture production in their states.
Referring to Modi’s comparison of the UPA with the NDA in checking food inflation, Mukherjee said international prices of commodities imported during the NDA’s rule were much lower.
Taking a dig at the central government, which has frequently advised the states to act firmly against hoarders, Modi quoted figures to say that 83 per cent raids had taken place in non-UPA ruled states.
Manmohan Singh said that the government wanted to be sure how last year’s drought situation played out in relation to the availability of food stocks.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot ticked off Modi for his references to NDA. “Where is NDA today?” Gehlot said.
Crediting the farmers for availability of food stock in the country, the Gujarat chief minister alleged that the central government had mismanaged the food economy.
He said records showed that 10 percent of food grain were wasted in the process of storage and 30 percent rotted because it lay in the open. “If these issues are tackled, it will help a great deal in coping with the problem (of price rise),” he said.
Modi said the rise in prices was not only affecting the poor but also the middle classes, and the government should include more families under poverty line according to recommendation of expert groups.
He suggested that a task force should be formed for computerised working of public distribution system in the country.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said later that states should join hands to solve the problem of price rise and boost agricultural productivity.
Referring to Modi’s remarks, Gogoi said that the issue of price rise should not be politicized.
Talking to reporters later Modi stood his ground.
“The ruling party made promises to the people of country. If we remind them to fulfil the promises, it is not politics,” he said.