No step taken to halt soaring prices: Congress

Kozhikode, Mar 9 (UNI) Describing the Kerala budget proposals for 2007-08 presented in the State Assembly today by Finance Minister T M Thomas Issac as ''disappointing and anti-development,'' the main Opposition Congress said it had no concrete proposals to contain the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.

''The budget has failed to live up to the expectations of the people as it has no effective measures to contain increasing prices of essential commodities making the life of common man miserable,'' Pradesh Congress Committee President Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here.

He said the LDF government came to power on development agenda, but the second budget of Dr Issac had no concrete proposals for industrial development, creating more job avenues and poverty alleviation.

Stating that there was no adequate allocation for welfare measures for the common man either, he said the move to tax life saving drugs, would be yet another blow to the common man, already reeling under the price hike.

UNI