PM consults with CMs on inflation

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today began consultations with the Chief Ministers on ways to contain rising prices of essential commodities and provide relief to common man.

The meeting, being attended by the Chief Ministers of most of the states, has been called in the backdrop of food inflation which touched a decade high of 20 per cent in December.

Prices of sugar, pulses and vegetables have skyrocketed in the past few months even as the government allowed liberal imports to tone up supplies and ban exports of several items.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), headed by party president Sonia Gandhi, yesterday expressed concern over the soaring prices and asked the government to initiate steps to provide relief to common man.

Besides the Chief Ministers, the meeting is being attended by several union ministers, including Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.

The meeting is also likely to focus on strengthening the public distribution system and stepping up anti-hording measures by the state governments.