Cong stages walkout in U'khand assembly over issue of rising prices of essential commodities

Opposition Congress walked out of the Uttarakhand assembly on Friday over the issue of rising prices of essential commodities.

Debating the issue during the Zero Hour, Congress members, including Leader of Opposition Indira Hridayesh, Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh and Dharchula MLA Harish Dhami, expressed concern over rise in LPG prices besides travelling, medical treatment and education getting costlier in the state.

They spoke about how LPG prices had been hiked by Rs 256 between October 2019 and February 2020, and how pulses were being bought for Rs 80 to Rs 100 per kg.

Chakrata MLA Singh, who also heads the Congress' state unit, said it was an irony that liquor is getting cheaper while essential commodities were getting beyond the reach of the common man.

Replying to the debate on behalf of the state government, Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik said the opposition would not have raised the issue if it saw the whole picture.

Kaushik said the per capita income in Uttarakhand was higher than Congress ruled states like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Objecting to this, Hridayesh asked him to say unequivocally whether or not price rise was a reality.

Not getting a clear-cut reply from the minister, the opposition staged a walkout in the assembly.