Imphal, April 21: Manipur People's Party (MPP) and other political parties have joined the Left parties in the campaign against price hike.

Left Parties and United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) have been jointly launching a Nation-wide campaign against escalating prices of essential commodities from April 16.The campaign will continue till April 23 .

As part of the ongoing campaign, a peoples' convention against price hike attended by leaders of various political parties was held at Manipur Press Club here today.

The convention attended by leaders of CPI, CPI(M), MPP, JD (S), Samajwadi Party among others resolved to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister lodging complaints against price hike and exerting pressure for convening an all political party meeting in this regard.

The convention further resolved that all the political parties should extend co-operation and support not only to the campaign being launched by Left parties and UNPA but also in spreading awareness among the people on the issue.

Earlier delivering the key note address, convenor of Left Co-ordination Committee Laishram Sotinkumar explained that the convention was being facilitated to take the opportunity of coming up with suggestions and exerting pressure on the Government collectively for taking up necessary measures to curb price hike.

As for the Left parties, it has already been made known to the Government that they would not budge from their stand until it reviews the decision of hiking the prices of essential commodities, he added.

While pointing out that the condition in Manipur is more acute than the overall inflation rate of India, Sotinkumar said that people in Manipur are today facing the problem of rise in the prices of essential commodities as a result of the UG demands on one hand and the failure of the Public Distribution System of the Government in the remote areas on the other hand.

MPP president Dr L Chandramani who spoke as one of the presidium members observed that even if the inflation rate of India has been controlled from its all time high to 7.41 percent now, in Manipur it is still around 25 percent.

The existing unsettling condition of law and order, lack of job opportunities, unemployment, etc have further compounded the problems of the people of the State who have been hit hard with inflation, he said, adding that selling of any goods by unscrupulous traders without any consideration of the price index is now almost being accepted as a norm in the State.

Absence of a food policy of the State, railway connectivity, illegal taxes imposed along the National Highways both by the UGs and the Government machineries, insincerity of the Government in taking down the statistics of the BPL and failure of reaching out the benefits to the people, etc have helped in causing inflation in Manipur, Dr Chandramani alleged.

Over and above this, the State has suffered due to inconsistency of the price fixation by the Chambers of Commerce and lack of marketing intelligence, he said, adding these two aspects have to be strengthened.

State secretary of CPI Langol Iboyaima reiterated that the party has been demanding the Government to stop price hike, procurement of the agricultural produce from the farmers by the Government at reasonable price, amendment of the Essential Commodities Act, taking up action against black marketeers, to reduce customs and excise duties imposed of fuel as well as reduction of the prices of petrol and diesel.

Samajwadi president Dr Sapam Dhananjoy.

CPI State Secretariat member Dr Y Muhindro, chairman of State Control Committee of the party Moirangthem Ibohal, JD (S) president W Kullabidhu, vice president of the party P Ibohal were among other presidium members who also spoke during the convention.

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