States’ job to control price rise, says Sharad Pawar

Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday put the onus of checking the increase in prices of essentials on the states.

Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday put the onus of checking the increase in prices of essentials on the states.

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“State governments should take price rise very seriously to protect the interests of consumers,” Pawar told a convention of his party. “They should make efforts to bring down prices of essential commodities.”

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar accused Pawar of making such statements out of “frustration” and blamed the UPA government’s “faulty policies”.

“I don’t subscribe to his charge about the inability of states to check price rise. Whenever the Congress comes to power, it gifts the nation uncontrolled price rise,” he said.

Food inflation touched an 11-year high of 19.95 per cent, according to figures released by the commerce and industry ministry on December 13.

The UPA government, which includes the NCP, came in for severe criticism from the opposition in Parliament’s winter session. And nine trade unions held countrywide protests against rising prices last week.

The party attributed the price rise to drought and poor monsoon. But Pawar conceded that some states were doing their bit by providing additional subsidy to make cereals and pulses more affordable.