Siddaramaiah meets Rahul on Lokpal, price rise

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Friday met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi and discussed with him the implementation of the Lokpal and measures to check price rise in view of the upcoming general elections, his aide said.

"Siddaramaiah participated in a day-long meeting Gandhi held with a dozen Congress-ruled chief ministers across the country on the political situation in their respective states and steps being taken to implement the Lokpal and check price rise ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due in April/May," chief minister's media advisor Dinesh Ameenmattu told IANS in Bangalore.

The chief minister informed Gandhi that Karnataka was the first state in the country to have set up the Ombudsman (Lokayukta) against corruption and had been effectively functioning over the last two decades.

Parliament Dec 18 passed the historic Lokpal Bill, which mandates all states to constitute the anti-corruption body (Lokayukta).

"The chief minister gave feedback to Gandhi on the prevailing political situation in the state and the welfare schemes the ruling Congress has been implementing since it returned to power after the state legislative assembly election in May," Ameenmattu said.

The party's dismal performance in the recent legislative assembly elections in Chattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan also came up in the discussion.

"The chief minister also briefed Gandhi on the measures being taken by the state government to curb price rise. Stringent steps have been taken against hoarding and black-marketing of foodgrains and other essential commodities to bring down retail prices," Ameenmattu said.

Besides Gandhi, union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.V. Thomas and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh addressed the chief ministers.