People's Democracy

Stop Forward Trading In Commodities 

Yechury At The PDS Dealers Rally

SITARAM Yechury, Polit Bureau member of CPI(M) and MP urged the UPA government to immediately stop forward trading in essential commodities.

He was addressing a huge rally at Ram Lila grounds on August 28, 2006, which was a culmination of the countrywide agitation by Public Distribution System (PDS) dealers which began on July 17, 2006. Thousands of dealers and fair price shop owners assembled at this meeting from all parts of the country. Yechury warned the UPA government that unless hoarding and forward trading of commodities is curbed the common man and the farmers would continue to suffer. He felt these two aspects were the main cause for the abnormal prise rise in commodity markets which is hitting the ordinary people hard. 

CPI general secretary A B Bardan, RSP senior leader and MP Abani Roy also addressed the public meeting, which was presided over by Biswambar Basu, all India general secretary of Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation.

After the public rally, Yechury led a delegation of Federation representatives to the union minister of state for grievances Suresh Pachouri and explained to the minister the problems being faced by fair price shop dealers due to the complacency of the government in procurement of food grains. He also explained to the minister the difficulties with the present policy of procuring food grains from open market. Referring to the government decision to import wheat, Yechury informed the minister that this will increase the amount of subsidy and will also further raise the retail market prices which are already high. He demanded that minimum selling rate be fixed for such imported wheat and fixation of levy on imported stocks to see that the required stocks are made available for public distribution. He also referred to the Supreme Court orders directing the government to ensure supply of 35 kg of food grains per family per month. (INN)