New Delhi: An relenting opposition today kept
the pressure on the government in the Rajya Sabha on the
spiraling prices alleging scam in sugar imports, a charge
rejected by Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.
Pawar, who was replying to a short duration discussion on
the rising prices, faced allegations by the united opposition,
particularly BJP and Left, of a "great scam" in sugar.
"Not a single kg of sugar was imported by the Government,"
Pawar said amid din which forced adjournment of the House for
the third time during the day on issues related to fuel or
food prices.
CPI(M) member Brinda Karat alleged that state agencies
have played a "dubious" role by not importing sugar and
leaving it to the private trade.
Sugar prices in the last one year have more than doubled
in the retail market and are currently ruling above Rs 43 a
kg.
The hour-long reply by Pawar, after the House reassembled
at 1400 hours, saw frequent interruptions and shouting of
slogans by the opposition which said the minister was not
addressing the concerns raised by them specifically with
regard to sugar prices and the issue price of commodities
distributed through PDS.
Claiming that prices of some of the essential commodities
like pulses, flour, potato and onion have declined, Pawar said
the government had raised the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for
wheat and rice by over 70 per cent in the last five years and
some impact was unavoidable on inflation.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, March 03, 2010, 18:43