Mayawati wants special debate on inflation

LUCKNOW: UP chief minister Mayawati has said that BSP favoured suspension of all proceedings of Parliament to have a special debate on inflation. Ms Mayawati claimed that the entire country was burdened by the rising cost of living and the condition of poor had gone worse.

She said the inflation rate had touched 18% due to the faulty economic policies of the Congress-led UPA government. She alleged that due to the policies aimed at benefiting businessmen, prices of grain, sugar and edible oil were touching record levels.

Ms Mayawati said that the decision to reduce subsidy on petroleum products was also a cause of concern. She said that the rise in prices of kerosene and LPG had further burdened lower and middle class households. By effecting a price rise on diesel during the kharif season the UPA government has shown it does not care about farmers, she said. The decision to increase the price of diesel would directly impact agricultural output which would result in price increase of agri produce, she said

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while presenting a report card on the completion of his government’s first year, had said that inflation would be brought under control by December this year. But when the prime minister addressed the National Development Council meeting on July 24, he tried to wash his hands off on the issue by saying that inflation was linked to a good monsoon.