Rahul's strategy for checking price rise neglected in State
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 18 2014 :
Even though Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has recently unveiled quick fix policy prescriptions for 12-party ruled states including reform in PDS and giving farmers a wider choice to sell vegetables and fruits, the State Congress Government has not been able to follow these instructions from the party's high command.
Worried about the adverse impact that price rise could cause to Congress' prospects in the coming Lok Sabha polls, the Congress Party resolved that the Congress-ruled states would by January 15 delist the fruits and vegetables from their respective Agricultural Produce Markets Committee (APMC) Acts so that the farmers have a choice of where to sell their produce and consumers would get the benefit of lower prices.
Such amendments to include or exclude items from the list needs an executive order and the Governments would not have to go to the state legislators.
It was also directed to all Congress-ruled States to invoke Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to deal sternly with hoarding, blackmarketing and profiteering, and open up fair price shops, either government-owned or run by women's self-help groups, that would sell fruits, vegetables and eggs at fair and reasonable prices.
However, when Hueiyen Lanapao contacted some high ranking State officials, it was revealed that the State Government has not taken up any of these steps as directed by the Congress high command, particularly by Rahul Gandhi.
The prices of consumer goods in the State are controlled by the traders rather than the Government.
Moreover, the public distribution system (PDS) is in a sorry state even though the State Government is geared up to implement the National Food Security Act, 2013 by March this year, the officials added.