New Delhi, Feb 5 (Inditop.com) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday told the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that the prices situation was improving and “soon there will be more improvement”.
This was conveyed to journalists by Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi after the CWC meeting held here.
“First, the price-rise was discussed at the meeting. Eighteen people expressed their views on it and gave their suggestions. (Finance Minister) Pranabji also spoke on it and expressed hope that the condition will become normal soon,” Dwivedi said.
“At the end of the meeting, the prime minister also spoke on the issue and expressed his concern. He said that things are improving and soon there would be more improvement,” he added.
The CWC, the party’s highest decision-making body, also discussed the Telangana issue.
The meeting was also attended by chief ministers of Congress-ruled states, except Maharashtra where party general secretary Rahul Gandhi is visiting. It comes a day ahead of a conference of chief ministers convened by the prime minister to discuss rising prices.
According to party sources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the CWC about the steps taken by the government to bring down prices of essential commodities and asked chief ministers to streamline the public distribution system.
The meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, was attended by senior Congress leaders, including the prime minister, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P. Chidambaram. The meeting of the extended working committee was also attended by permanent invitees and Congress chief ministers.
Congress sources said that some members asked the government to take steps to reduce the layers of middlemen that exist between the farmer and consumer. They said that the produce was procured from farmers at a price far less than what is paid by the consumer and there was a need to reduce the layers of middlemen.
Chidambaram told the meeting about the government’s response to regional divisions in Andhra Pradesh on creation of a new state of Telangana. He said the terms of reference of the committee formed on the issue would be finalised shortly.
Sources said that Defence Minister A.K. Antony, who is party incharge of Maharashtra, gave an assessment of the situation in the state in the light of attempts by the Shiv Sena to raise linguistic issues.
They said some members objected to remarks of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar about the possibility of rise in prices of some commodities. They said that such remarks were unwarranted.
The chief ministers of Maharashtra and Puducherry did not come for the meeting due to the visit of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi to their states.
