By IANS,
New Delhi : Concerned about the recent fuel price hike at a time when food inflation has hit double digits, the Trinamool Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have said the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) should consult allies before taking crucial decisions.
“The allies should be consulted. There should be a coordination mechanism among alliance partners,” NCP spokesperson D.P. Tripathi told IANS.
He said the allies should meet as frequently as possible to iron out various contentious issues and ensure better coordination. “The more you meet, the better.”
He said inspiration could be drawn from the agriculture ministry, headed by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, which had kept prices of primary food articles including rice, sugar, coarse cereals and oilseeds stable for the past one year.
“Prices of primary food articles are stable for the last one year,” he said. Agriculture Minister Pawar had said Saturday that rising prices were not a responsibility of his ministry, as its prime job was to ensure the availability of foodgrains like wheat and rice.
Tripathi added that rising prices was the “collective responsibility” of the government and special attention should be paid to it as it was creating “day to day” problems for the common person.
The Trinamool Congress, another key ally, had also Sunday expressed concern over the petrol price hike and complained that it was not consulted on the issue. The party had said that a meeting of allies should be held every three months to discuss the ideas of different political parties.
Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said the party was holding a protest in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal Monday against the fuel price hike and consequent rise in prices of other commodities.
He said party MPs would come to Delhi on Jan 19 to convey the party’s concern over “price rise and violence unleashed before (assembly) elections by CPI-M with connivance of state machinery”.
Three state oil marketing companies, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum, raised their price for petrol ranging from Rs.2.50 to Rs.2.54 per litre from Saturday midnight.
India’s annual food inflation for the week ended Jan 1 was 16.91 percent, compared to 18.32 percent in the previous week.