The Hindu Business Line : Cong CMs told to take strong steps to curb prices

The Chief Ministers also wanted forward trading in food grains and some other essential commodities to be better regulated in order to curb excessive speculation.

THE PRIME Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, with the Congress Chief Ministers (from left) Mr Vir Bhadra Singh (Himachal Pradesh), Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda ( Haryana), Mr N. Rangasamy (Pondicherry), and Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad (J & K), prior to a meeting in the Capital on Wednesday. — Ramesh Sharma

New Delhi , July 5

In an unprecedented move, a meeting of Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled States was held here on Wednesday chaired by the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, to discuss the issue of increase in prices of essential commodities and ways to curb them.

The Congress high command also directed its Chief Ministers to take the strongest measures against hoarders, black-marketeers and profiteers, he said.

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and another senior Minister also attended the meeting. The Chief Ministers requested for changes the Essential Commodities Act to get back to its pre-2002 form.

It may be mentioned that in February 2002 the then NDA Government had issued orders rescinding all control orders under the Essential Commodities Act.

Citing the difficulties caused by the order, the Chief Ministers wanted that the States be empowered to intervene in case of hoarding of essential commodities.

The Chief Ministers also wanted forward trading in food grains and some other essential commodities to be better regulated in order to curb excessive speculation and the Prime Minister assured them that the Government would look into both the matters, the Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, told reporters after the two-hour long meeting.

Ms Gandhi had convened the meeting in the backdrop of the Left parties announcing an agitation next week on the issue and the main Opposition BJP also attacking the Government.

This is the second meeting of Congress Chief Ministers after the UPA government came to power two years ago. The earlier meeting was held in Chandigarh in October 2005 that was primarily convened to assess the performance of the State Governments.

This is the first time that such a high level meeting within the party was held on a particular economic issue.

The CMs meet, which comes close on the heels of a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), is a clear indication that the ruling party is in no mood to take any chances on the issue of price rise and inflation at a time when at least three States, including Uttar Pradesh, are going to polls early next year.

Today's meeting is the seventh in the series after the Congress started in 2001 the practice of bringing together its Chief Ministers to assess the performance of the party-ruled States.

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