From CK Nayak
New Delhi: Worried about the adverse impact that price rise could cause to Congress’ prospects in Lok Sabha polls, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday 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.
Talking to reporters after the day-long interaction with Chief Ministers and top ministers for which Gandhi had set the agenda for the discussion by his opening remarks on corruption and inflation as core issues, AICC Communication Department chief Ajay Maken listed four measures that Congress Chief Ministers agreed to implement.
“All Congress-ruled states will 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 will get the benefit of lower prices,” Maken said, as Gandhi sought to work out a strategy to woo voters.
All Congress-ruled states All Congress-ruled states will invoke Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to stop hoarding, black marketing and profiteering, which is aimed at checking uncontrolled price rise recently on salt, onion and potato. The Northeastern states are likely to benefit from the decisions taken at the meeting.
“Both the decisions will help the farmers and consumers in the Northeast,” Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma told The Shillong Times after the meeting.
“Price rise affects the region most than any other part of the country,” he said.
Dr Sangma said that because of difficult road conditions, scattered population, lack of adequate transport and storage system and marketing facilities, farmers and consumers of the northeastern region suffer more. “With an effective PDS and fair price shops this problem will ease and ultimately production of such daily needed goods will increase,” he said.
