Oppostion stages walkout over spiraling prices

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 26: The Congress-led Opposition United Democratic Front in Kerala today staged a walkout in the State Assembly alleging that the government had failed to take effective measures to check spiraling prices of essential commodities.

Replying to a notice seeking the leave of the House to move an Adjournment Motion by Mr Adoor Prakash of the Congress, Civil Supplies Minister C Divakaran said the government had taken all steps to check the price hike by supplying essential commodities through the Civil Supplies Corporation outlets, maveli stores and ration shops.

On the directive of the government, Officials of Civil Supplies and Food Inspectors had conducted surprise checks in the open markets to prevent price hike, the Minister added.

Since Kerala was a consumer state the state had to bring 85 per cent of its commodities from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, there was a limit to check the prices in open market, he said adding that with less than 30 per cent in the open market, the government was distributing essential commodities through its outlets.

The government's policy was to help the people and would never side with traders till the end of its tenure, he said adding that during the Onam festival, the government had distributed 19,36,000 onam kits to poor people.

Earlier, Mr Prakash alleged that the government had done nothing to control the price hike and within one year the hike had escalated to 160 per cent.

Instead of checking the price by providing subsidy to the public distribution system, the government was imposing hike and burdening the people, which would ultimately help the traders.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy alleged that the recent price hike effected by the Civil Supplies Corporation was to fill the loss caused by distribution of Onam kits.

Demanding that the government should abandon the recent hike of essential commodities sold through the Civil Supplies Corporation outlets and discard 'anti-people' policies, Mr Chandy announced the walkout as Speaker K Radhakrishan denied permission to discuss the issue after adjourning the House.

UNI