Opposition smells price ‘scams’, demands probe
Opposition smells price ‘scams’, demands probe
New Delhi: Opposition on Thursday sought to puncture the economic growth story, charging the government with “failure" to check price spiral and demanded a parliamentary probe into a “scam" in essential commodities like wheat, rice, pulses and sugar.
Launching a scathing attack in both the houses of Parliament on the issue of price rise, opposition BJP and the Left alleged that the UPA was indulging in blame game instead of controlling runaway inflation, particularly of food items.
After stalling proceedings for two days on the issue, the Opposition mounted a fresh offensive on the government through a structured debates, simultaneously in both houses which skipped the question hour.
The government came under attack on a day when the pre-Budget Economic Survey painted a rosy picture of the economy projecting a growth of 7.2% for the current financial year and 8.75% in the next fiscal.
Despite some measures like export checks and import liberalisation, food inflation is ruling at 17.58% for the week-ended 13 February.
Leading the attack in the Lok Sabha, leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj said, “We demand a JPC to enquire into the scams in wheat, rice, pulses and sugar". She said the probe should find out why decisions which led to “scams" were taken.
She quoted a Bollywood film dialogue about maal idhar se udhar karna (wheeling-dealing) and said,“The government is doing this and the matter should be investigated."
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