Left parties have stepped up the demand for total ban on futures trading in agricultural commodities in India.

On Monday, senior Communist Party of India (CPI) D Raja said that the Manmohan Singh government's half cooked measures of banning futures trading in some commodities would not ease rising inflation.

"The government's ban on future trading on some items will not solve the inflation crisis. Instead, all food grain items should be immediately banned under future trade," Raja told Commodity Online in an interview.

Last month, the government banned futures trading in tur, urad, wheat and rice in the wake of political pressure especially from the Left parties on futures trading in agri commodities.

Raja said that the futures trading has not helped farmers in any way, and that it has only created problems for them.

Without naming any leader, the CPI leader said some people in the Manmohan government want to continue with futures trading and some leaders are against it.

"Our demand is that there should be an end to futures trading," he said.

Raja suggested that the government should also see that hoarding and black marketing of grains should also be stopped and Public Distribution System must be streamlined.

"Crisis of inflation can not be seen in isolation but in the same breath added that comprehensive measures is needed to control inflation," Raja added.

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