Sonia lists Govt's steps to check price rise

New Delhi, Mar 6 (UNI) Sharing the concern of the people over price rise, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said her party as well as the Congress-led UPA coalition Government at the Centre were fully alive to the situation.

''Our party and the Government are in regular touch. The Government has already announced a large number of measures,''she pointed out while addressing the General Body Meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party(CPP) here.

''I know all of you have been concerned over the price situation,'' she said.

''There is no doubt that our Government has placed the economy on a higher growth path and the investment climate has improved significantly. Business confidence, both nationally and internationally, is high,'' she added.

''But prices remain a source of worry,'' she noted, and pointed out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written to all the Chief Ministers listing measures to be taken to combat inflation and asked them to take further action in this regard like keeping a check on hoarding and speculation.

The Government, Ms Gandhi pointed out, had also begun to import essential commodities while restricting the export of others in relatively short supply. The Reserve Bank had also taken steps to rein in demand side pressure on prices, she added.

Ms Gandhi underlined the need for taking forward the remaining commitments of the national common minimum programme(NCMP).''In the coming months, we must take forward some remaining commitments of the NCMP. These include a social safety net for unorganised sector workers and an effective rehabilitation policy for people displaced by developmentalprojects,'' she added.

UNI