GUWAHATI, July 14 � Opposition members in the State Assembly today strongly criticized the Government for its failure to control price rise of essential commodities. They also said that the recent increase of the prices of petroleum products would result in further increase of the prices, making life miserable for the common people of the State.
Participating in the debate on the supplementary demand for grant for the Food and Civil Supplies Department, Dr Kamala Kalita (AGP) said that the prices of all the essential commodities increased by 300 percent since 2001 and unfortunately, the Government totally failed to take any positive step to control the prices. He said that the failure of the Government forced the common people of the state to come out to the streets in protest, but instead of trying to pay heed to the feelings of the people, the Government is using force to dominate them.
Dr Kalita alleged that though the Government has launched a special scheme in this year�s budget to provide rice at the rate of six Rupees per kilogram to 10,000 poor families in each legislative assembly constituencies, persons of doubtful credentials were appointed in the committees formed to select beneficiaries for the same. He said that in one case, a person arrested for taking bribes for selecting candidates for appointment as Anganwadi workers was selected as one of the members of a committee to select beneficiaries. He demanded that the elected panchayats should be entrusted with the responsibility of selecting beneficiaries of the new scheme.
Ranjit Dutta (BJP) hit out at the Government for its total failure to control the prices of all the essential commodities and said that the buying capacity of the people has come down drastically in the last few years. He also alleged that large scale irregularities are taking place in selection of beneficiaries for the new scheme launched by the Government for providing rice at concessional rates to the poor families.
Dr Aditya Langthasa (AUDF) said that Government must take immediate steps to check the prices of the essential commodities and alleged that the new scheme of the Government to provide rice at concessional rates turned out to be a scheme of the Congress party and not of the Government.
Ramendra Narayan Kalita (AGP) said that the abnormal rise of the prices of the essential commodities and the failure of the Government to check the same made one wonder whether the Government has secret understanding with a section of unscrupulous traders. He demanded that the Government should explain to the people as to why such abnormal price rise is taking place.
Ananta Deka (CPM) expressed the view that the policy to determine BPL families should be reviewed immediately and the yardstick should be revised. He said that the Tamil Nadu Government is providing rice to the poor families at the rate of one Rupee per kg and the West Bengal Government is supplying at the rate of two Rupees.
Prasanta Phukan (BJP) said that large scale irregularities are taking place in distribution of essentials through the public distribution system.
Drupad Borgohain (CPI) said that though the prices of all the essentials are soaring, the farmers are not getting their due share.
Several other members including Dr Alaka Sarma (AGP), Brindaban Goswami (AGP), Pranab Kalita (Ind) and Ataur Rahman Majarbhuyan (AUDF) also strongly criticized the Government for its failure to control the prices of essentials.
In reply, the Food and Civil Supplies minister Dr Nazrul Islam said that price rise of the essentials is a national phenomenon.
