Pranab Mukherjee, Sushma Swaraj match grocery bills

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was in his elements on Thursday as he took on the Opposition in Parliament over the question of price rise.

As he responded to the debate in the Rajya Sabha, Mukherjee recalled that as an Opposition member he had always cooperated with the government in ensuring that constructive proposals are not blocked. Pointing out that the global economic situation is a cause of concern, he said: “Let us share that concern, put our heads together, and, try to collectively resolve, and, find out a way through which we can solve this problem.”

Then he asserted that it is wrong to blame the UPA government for inflation and observed that there is tremendous difference between the current situation and the one that prevailed during the NDA regime. He also blamed the state governments for the rising prices. He then cited figures to show that the cost of food products have actually declined over the past two years.

The debate in Lok Sabha became an exchange of grocery bills between Mukherjee and leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj. While Mukherjee’s grocery bills showed reduction in prices of wheat flour and cereals, Swaraj’s showed increase.

Comparing the price of essential commodities, the minister pointed out that there has been a marginal increase in the cost over last two years. For instance, retail price of rice in Delhi as on date was Rs24, while it was Rs23 two years ago; price of wheat went up from Rs14.5 to Rs15 in two years.

“It is not correct to say that the government has not done anything. Had the government not done anything, then this should not have been the figures. The prices are declining. Even if you take the food prices as a whole in a compass of two year period, it is not that disappointing. From February, 2010, when it was 22 per cent, to December, 2011, if it has come from 22 per cent to even if you say, eight per cent or eight and a half per cent, there has been reduction,” Mukherjee said.

“On December 3, I bought atta at Rs18.20 kg, rice cost me Rs27/kg, salt Rs13/kg and onion Rs25/kg,” Swaraj read out her grocery bill in the Lok Sabha.

Swaraj accused the government’s faulty economic policies and corruption in the government for the price rise and inflation. “...the UPA government is giving technical reasons to justify the rocketing inflation. Corruption and the wrong policies of the UPA government have led to the present situation. It is because their wrong policies that the RBI had to raise interest rates 13 times. Rupee value has depreciated to its lowest level, the prices of petroleum products have been hiked several times,” Swaraj said.

The minister said the minimum support prices of basic food grains had been raised consistently during the UPA regime. He blamed the global economic situation for inflation in India. He said his government has managed to keep prices under control which is why there was only marginal rise on prices of food products.

“The food inflation has come down from 11.41 per cent on October 29 to 6.6 per cent, which is almost a half. From 11.41 per cent, it has come down to 6.6 per cent. But please remember, you were in government for six years... The country knows what you did,” Mukherjee said in response to Swaraj’s comments.

Initiating the debate in the lower house, CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta pointed out that the cost of alcohol is cheaper than that of food. The debate in Lok Sabha has remained inconclusive.