Govt must control runaway prices: Sonia

With price rise threatening to become a major issue in the coming elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has said the government must ensure that the prices of essential commodities remain affordable for the aam aadmi (common man).

In a 'Letter to Congresspersons' in the latest issue of the party mouthpiece, she also put the onus of controlling price rise on the state governments, saying they should strengthen the public distribution system and control black marketing and hoarding.

"In recent weeks, because of international developments, we have had an increase in the rate of inflation in our country," Gandhi said in Congress Sandesh.

"I am aware that our prime minister is very sensitive to this issue and that he knows very well our party's thinking that while higher growth is essential, we must at the same time ensure that the prices of essential commodities remain affordable to all sections of society," she said.

Gandhi put the onus on the state governments, saying that strengthening of the public distribution system is something that the states are responsible for and they must make it a priority.

"Similarly, it is the state governments that have the powers to control black marketing and hoarding just as the central government has the powers to control speculation. These powers have to be exercised so that the price rise does not affect the aam aadmi," she said.

Meanwhile, referring to the coming elections in a number of states this year, Gandhi said that the party confronts many challenges, most importantly, sustaining unity and discipline at all levels of the organisation.

"Time and again it has been brought home to us that if we are united and if we disciplined, we will be successful," Gandhi said.

She noted that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance has a large number of achievements to its credit and every Congress worker should be fully aware of these and should propagate them amongst the people.

"It has gone out of its way to transfer huge amounts of money for development in non-Congress states without playing politics, which the Bharatiya Janata Party did when it was in power. It falls upon each and every Congressman and woman to become fully aware of these achievements and propagate them amongst the people," Gandhi said.

Meanwhile, on the UNPA (United National Progressive Alliance) and the Left deciding to hold agitations against the government on the issue of price rise, AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "Nobody is agitating against price rise more than the government itself. Concern has been expressed by the government, by the Congress president."

"No government has taken the kind of decisions that this government has taken. You will see the effects in some days," he said.

Taking a dig at the UNPA, he said, "UNPA is yet to be born, it is struggling to be born."