BJP slams Centre on price rise issue

New Delhi, Mar 4 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed the Centre for its stand on inflationary food trends.

Senior BJP leader S S Ahluwalia said the steps taken by the Congress Government have not eased spiralling food prices, which have further pushed the inflation to what some economists expect could hit 10 percent this month.

"There's a favourite saying 'Whatever steps are required have been taken and will be taken.' I don't know what steps have been taken and what Pranab Mukherjee is going to take because the steps taken by the government, are neither containing nor controlling the price rise," said Ahluwalia.

However, Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari contended that he is positive about better yield of winter-sown crops and this should help bring down the escalation in food prices.

"It's not that the food prices have started rising today. Unfortunately the international commodity market really started hardening in the middle of 2008. Then, well a good crop season did moderate prices as far as we are concerned," said Tiwari.

"Unfortunately the southwest monsoon played out in the manner that it did, which really is under no one's control so we do hope with the Rabi (winter) crop coming in, some of this burden that has been placed on the common man will definitely get mitigated," added Tiwari.

Reportedly, food price index in India rose by 17.58 percent, as on February 13.The rise was lower than an annual rise of 17.97 percent in the previous week. (ANI)