Rising prices trigger protests in different parts of the country

New Delhi/Amritsar, Apr 9 : The Union Government's failure to arrest the prices of essential commodities has triggered protests in several parts of the country on Wednesday.

Activists of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) staged a demonstration in New Delhi to voice their grievances.

"The situation is such that the prices of basic commodities like pulses, rice, flour, oil all are on the, rise. Oil prices have shot up to 80 rupees, pulses at 50-60 rupees. The country's labour and workers' income are not increasing in the way the prices of commodities are increasing. So we are protesting against the unsettling situation in the country," said Pratap Samal, SUCI secretary.

Meanwhile, a club known as Idiot's Club in Amritsar made a mockery of the situation by starting a finance company to help people buy essential commodities likes vegetables.

"Our contention is that because the prices of essentials have gone beyond the reach of the poor, we are providing finance to the poor to buy vegetables," said Kharaiti Lal, an activist.

The ruling Communist-backed UPA coalition is under pressure to check prices ahead of State and national polls this year and next, took fresh steps to calm inflationary pressures.

The government this week scrapped import duties on edible oils, banned exports of non-basmati rice, cut duties on maize to zero from 15 per cent and extended a ban on export of pulses for a year.

It has also forced steel firms to roll back price increases.

Country's widely watched inflation rate accelerated to 7.0 per cent in late March, its highest in more than 3 years, forcing the government to cut import duties and sparking speculation that the central bank may act soon.

ANI