Rajya Sabha member raises issue of price rise in pulses, vegetables

Taking a jibe at BJP for rising prices, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Thursday, said when the ruling party will go to seek votes, it will face the ire of housewives as the prices of pulses and vegetables have skyrocketed.

"BJP had said it will bring 'achche din' (good days), but now people are saying bring back our 'bure din' (bad days)," Tiwari said while raising the issue of price rise during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha.

He said while industrial growth has remained flat, inflation has risen to 5.77 per cent and exports are declining.

According to latest government data, retail inflation inched up to a 22-month high of 5.77 per cent in June on increase in food prices including cereals and vegetables.

"The government has joined hands with certain special persons and prices of pulses have shoot up to Rs 205-210 per kg and the case of vegetables is also the same," he said.

He said even RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan on the question of bringing down interest rates, had said that first he should be told whether the inflation rate has come down.

Viplove Thakur (Congress) raised the issue of funds not being allocated to elected members of Zila Parishads. She said funds were being given to gram panchayats due to the directions of the 14th Finance Commission, which is impacting development work.

Ali Anwar Ansari (JD-U) raised the issue of rustication of 10 students of the Benaras Hindu University for 2 years by the Vice Chancellor, saying they were peacefully protesting against the digital library in the university not being run for 24 hours as stated in the university prospectus. The students protest was broken up in the middle of the night and they were arrested by the police, he said.

Kanimozhi (DMK) called the attention of the House over the alleged suicide of a postgraduate student at AIIMS.

She claimed that while the police is saying it was a case of suicide or accidental overdose, but there is "some foul play" and the incident needs to be investigated.

Reply to this, Health Minister J P Nadda said the Ministry is seized of the matter and the toxicology report of the victim is awaited.

D Raja (CPI) also associated with the matter.

Vivek Gupta (TMA) drew the attention of the House to the wheat blast and rice blast diseases, which can adversely impact their production. He said the government needs to take immediate action to contain the disease and educate the farmers about it.