'Discussions on price rise without voting useless'

CPI(M) today said it was useless to hold another discussion on price rise unless there is voting and suggested measures like reducing petrol prices, banning of forward trading of essential commodities and strengthening PDS to bring down prices.

CPI(M) on Wednesday said it was useless to hold another discussion on price rise unless there is voting and suggested measures like reducing petrol prices, banning of forward trading of essential commodities and strengthening PDS to bring down prices.

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"Left parties feel there is no use of holding another discussion on price rise. Already two discussions have taken place on the issue in both the last two sessions of Parliament... but the government has not initiated any concrete steps to check inflation and price rise," CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters outside Parliament.

He said in order to put pressure on the government to initiate concrete steps to curb inflation, any discussion on price rise was "worthless".

"The discussion should only be held under the rule which entails voting, so that there is pressure built on the government to initiate concrete steps to curb inflation and check price rise," he said.

Yechury suggested that all forward trading of food commodities be banned and the taxes on petrol and diesel be reduced to help bring down their prices, besides strengthening public distribution system to distribute essential commodities.

"The government's plea of under-recoveries is not justified. The government is getting taxes of Rs 1.3 lakh crores from petrol and diesel and the subsidy is only of Rs 40,000 crores. The government is making profit of Rs 90,000 crores and putting the burden on the common man," he said.

Yechury also called for bringing back the black money stashed away abroad.