Chennai, Aug 28:
Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi and AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday raised concerns over the sharp rise in prices of essential commodities in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, urging the State government to take immediate steps to protect poor and middle-class families.
Speaking during a calling-attention motion, Udhayanidhi said the prices of rice, pulses, cooking oil, sugar and other essential items had risen steeply over the past six months. He claimed that the price of rice had increased from Rs 55 a kg in May to Rs 75, onion from Rs 40 to Rs 80, tur dal from Rs 150 to Rs 180 and sugar from Rs 40 to Rs 80.
He urged the government to convene a special meeting involving the Finance, Food and Cooperation Ministers and senior officials to evolve an immediate strategy to control inflation. Udhayanidhi also recalled the special public distribution initiatives introduced during the previous government to supply essential commodities at subsidised prices.
Palaniswami said the rise in prices had severely affected ordinary people, pointing to increases in rice, sugar, turmeric, chillies, jaggery, tamarind, pulses and edible oil. He urged the government to procure commodities from regions where they were available at lower prices and sell them through cooperative outlets to stabilise the market.
Responding to the concerns, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Venkataramanan said the rise in fuel prices following the Iran war had contributed to the increase in the prices of essential commodities. He said the government was monitoring the prices of 41 commodities on a daily basis under a committee headed by the Chief Minister.
The Minister said the government was closely tracking prices of rice, onion, potato and other essential items and would intervene wherever required to prevent consumers from being affected. He added that measures similar to those adopted by previous governments would be implemented through ration shops and Anganwadi green stores to bring down prices.
The government, he said, was committed to ensuring that the burden of rising prices did not fall heavily on the people.