UPA resp for price rise, Sonia gives lip service: JD-U

New Delhi, Feb 15: Janata Dal (United) President Sharad Yadav today criticised the UPA government for failing to check inflation and demanded it close the Multi Commodities Exchange, ban forward trading of commodities and strengthen Food Corporation of India and Public Distribution system to check the price rise.

Launching a scathing attack on UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, he said that she just indulged in lip service by expressing concern over the price rise but not doing anything to check it.

''She always expresses concern about the problems of people but does nothing to solve it. She gives a statement and does nothing to solve the problem. Giving statments and expressing concern is the role of the opposition, she being in the government should take action to solve the problems of the people.'' Mr Yadav said he had written to both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Ms Gandhi about the rising inflation which was about to touch a record 7 per cent but nothing came out of it. Same case was with the Special Economic Zone issue where despite Ms Gandhi's statement, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath went on sanctioning new SEZs.

He also said the left leaders, who were supporting the UPA government, could not shy away from their responsibility towards price rise. He said that by supporting the government, they could not criticise its policies and launch agitation against it. ''The Left should come clear on its stand that on the issue of inflation whether they are with the poor people of the country or the government who is responsible for the price rise.''

Mr Yadav said the present price rise was not due to scarcity of commodities as the Monsoon during the past four years had not been bad. ''It was basically due to bad food management and faulty policy that the price of essential commodities like flour, sugar, oil, pulses, milk and other food grains have been increasing.'' Despite being repeatedly asked the government did nothing to strengthen the FCI, food procurement, PDS and close down the multi commodities exchange. According to Mr Yadav, by encouraging multi commodities exchange and forward trading the government has kept essential commodities on equal footing as shares and the prices of both were rising.

''It seems that the government has a scheme in the price rise. Rising prices are invisible tax on the masses, by which their money is flown to rich classes who invest them in the share market, real estate and precious metals. I am afraid that the government through a mechanism of rising prices is funding the share market and the market of real estate,'' he said.

Mr Yadav charged the UPA government with using inflation to finance development and said that due to this it has not taken any serious step to contain the price rise. The government is not going for procurement at the right time by FCI, not supporting farmers by increasing the Minimum Support Price and claims it has no money to subsidise them, he said. But in the name of containing inflation it was importing food grains at higher prices, he alleged.

''It cannot support Indian farmers who are commiting suicides, but the government has no hesitation in supporting the Australian farmers by offering higher prices for food grains imported from there,'' he said.

Pointing out that about Rs 20 lakh crore have been invested in the Multi Commodity Exchange, Mr Yadav said that the investors would not allow the prices to come down, even if there was adequate supply of commodities. ''So these exchanges should be closed, forward trading banned and private companies should not be allowed to procure foodgrains,'' he said.

UNI