The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) launched a scathing attack on the government in the Assembly on Wednesday, accusing it of failure to check the spiralling prices of essential commodities even as the government maintained that its market intervention strategy had succeeded in keeping prices under control.
Food Minister P. Thilothaman said the prices of most items had settled down after a spurt in recent months. The government had taken steps to prevent prices from spiking during the Onam season. The Civil Supplies Corporation would organise 1,470 fair price Onam fairs across the State. This effort would be supplemented by a network of 3,500 markets to be set up by Consumerfed and more than 2,000 vegetable stalls to be opened by the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam and Horticorp.
The Minister said a price monitoring cell had been established to keep a close tab on the situation. The government machinery was fully equipped to ensure that consumers would not have to contend with skyrocketing prices this Onam.
Earlier, moving notice for an adjournment motion on the issue, T.V. Ibrahim accused the government of turning a blind eye to the spurt in the price of rice and other essential commodities and allowing hoarders and black marketeers to fleece consumers. He alleged that government fair price outlets were selling goods at prices higher than in the open market.
Mr. Thilothaman said the price of rice now stood at ₹35 to ₹40 a kg. The government move to purchase the Jaya variety of rice directly from Andhra Pradesh (AP) without the involvement of middlemen had driven down prices in the open market.
The AP factor
The Minister, however, said the pact with the AP government was yet to be finalised. “There was some confusion following the revelation that farmers in AP had stopped growing Jaya rice long back, and replaced it with the Bondalu variety. The AP Civil Supplies Corporation asked for samples to compare with the rice grown there,” The Minister said officials from AP were coming to Kerala to finalise the agreement for sale of rice.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said that prices of rice, oils, spices, pulses, and vegetables had gone through the roof in the absence of effective market intervention. The introduction of GST only worsened the situation,” he said.
The Opposition staged a walkout after Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan refused to permit the issue to be taken up for discussion.
