CPI(M) blames Manmohan Singh Govt for inflation spiral

New Delhi, Jun 20 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today squarely blamed the UPA Government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the dismal situation where the inflation rate has gone up to a 13-year high of 11.05 per cent for the week ended June 7.

The party, in a statement issued here, said this is the direct result of the steep increase effected by the Government in the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.

''This raging double digit inflation is going to have a disastrous effect on the living standard of people with the rampant increase in prices of all essential commodities,'' the CPI(M) said.

The Government has refused to take the measures suggested by the Left parties such as strengthening and universalising the public distribution system and banning forward trading in all essential commodities.

Nor it is willing to do away with the iniquitous taxation structure and the import parity pricing of the petroleum products, the party said.

The statement further said that the Government refused to tax the windfall profits of private refineries like the Reliance Industries which made a profit of Rs 10,172 crore in 2007-08. ''Even in the United States, to whom our rulers look up to, the concept of taxing windfall profits is accepted,'' it said.

The CPI (M) called upon all its party units to step up the agitation against inflation and to mobilise the people to compel the Government to take measures to curb price rise and provide immediate relief to the common man, the statement added.

UNI BKS RP ND1710