TDP, CPIM) stage walkout

Hyderabad, Dec 22 (UNI) The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a walkout in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly protesting against the state government's alleged failure to check price rise.

Making a statement in the House, Civil Supplies Minister N Raghuveera Reddy said the government was taking all steps to keep under control the prices of essential commodities.

Accusing the previous National Democratic Front government of freeing trade and rise in crude oil price in the international market, the Minister said the present government was unable to stop hoarding of essential commodities by unscruplus traders at the time of shortage.

He alleged that the previous TDP government did nothing when the BJP-led NDA government cut kerosene quota for the state.

The government had engaged women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to procure maize and other farm products directly from farmers ensuring a remunerative price for the peasants and at the same time make them available to consumers at affordable cost, he said adding the turnover of the state Marketing Federation (MARKFED) had increased from Rs 160 crore during the previous regime to Rs 190 crore now.

Admitting that pulses and edible oil prices had gone up this year due to fall in production in various states, he said the government was striving to stop black marketing of kerosene.

Dissatisfied by the Minister's reply, Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that the government had totally failed to intervene in the market and provide relief to the common man reeling under severe price rise, before leading a walkout by TDP members.

CPI(M) floor leader N Narasimaiah, who led the CPI(M) members out, claimed that there was acute shortage of cooking gas also in the state, and spiralling of the prices of essential commodities by 100 to 400 per cent.

All India Majlis-E-Itihadul Muslimeen floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, who also registered his party's protest over skyrocketing of prices of food items, lamented that supply of kerosene was a low 7.5 litre per family in the state against the national average of 10.6 litre per family.

CPI floor leader Ch Venkata Reddy wanted the government to convene an all party meeting to take the suggestions of all parties to bring the situation under control.

Describing price rise as a national phenomenon, Congress Member G Chinna Reddy said the Congress government was taking all possible steps to curb price rise.

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