By IANS,
New Delhi : Expressing concern over the rising prices of food items, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday asked the government to increase the rice and wheat quota of states meant for the Public Distribution System (PDS) and an “immediate” ban on futures trading in food articles.
The politburo of the CPI-M also demanded the tabling in parliament of the food security legislation.
The politburo asked all its units to intensify their struggle against price rise “till the Congress-led government initiates these steps in the coming days”.
“The government must release cereal stocks through the PDS by increasing the rice and wheat quotas for the states. The food security legislation should be tabled without any further delay,” the politburo said in a statement here.
The government must supply sugar, pulses and edible oils through PDS outlets at cheap rates, it said.
The government, in coordination with the state governments, must launch a countrywide crackdown against hoarding and black-marketing.
“All private traders of food articles must disclose their stocks and release surplus stocks. Diesel and petrol prices must be brought down by cutting indirect taxes,” the CPI-M said.
The party expressed “grave concern” over the wholesale price index inflation rate that climbed to 7.31 percent in December and remained very high at 17.28 percent in the week ended Jan 2 this year.
“The retail price of sugar has reached an unprecedented high of Rs.50 a kilo. Prices of cereals, pulses, vegetables and milk continue to rise. This reflects the utter failure of the Congress-led government in checking food prices and inflation,” the statement said.