Lok Sabha members on Friday raised serious concern over the prevailing high inflation and sought government’s intervention to check price rise along with streamlining the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Moving a private member’s resolution on steps to control the rise in prices of essential commodities, Mahendra Kumar Roy (CPI-M) said people are suffering because of high inflation and demanded ban on futures trading in commodities.
Mr. Roy also raised the issue of hoarding and suggested that at least 35 kg foodgrains at Rs 2/kg should be distributed to people every month.
“The stored foodgrains should be distributed among people and not exported. Foodgrains are rotting in godowns, but government is doing nothing to distribute it,” Mr. Roy said.
He also favoured doing away with the distinction between the APL and BPL categories in foodgrains distribution.
Supporting Roy, Satpal Maharaj (Cong) said inflation should be brought down and the government should take steps to strengthen the PDS.
“PDS is full of irregularities and lacuna. We need to plug this lacuna and bring down inflation,” Maharaj said.
Shailendra Kumar (SP) said 3-4 per cent inflation would be acceptable, but not the current high level of price rise.
WPI based Inflation stood at 6.84 per cent in February while the retail inflation was 10.91 per cent.
Mahendra Sinh Chauhan (BJP) said poor should benefit from government’s initiative to check price rise.
