Congress-ruled states to mount attack on inflation, corruption

To regain lost political ground after the Congress’ drubbing in the recent Assembly elections, party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said all Congress-ruled states would take proactive steps to control price rise and corruption.

He also said his “personal” view was the Maharashtra Cabinet should accept the report of the inquiry committee in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. “There is no question of protecting anyone (in the Adarsh scam),” he said, after a meeting of party chief ministers here.

Despite a court of inquiry having virtually established charges of quid pro quo (classified as corruption under the Criminal Procedure Code and punishable by a jail term) against several bureaucrats and former Congress chief minister Ashok Chavan, the Maharashtra Cabinet had last week rejected a judicial commission’s report without stating why. The report also named several people close to the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership.

Gandhi said it was his personal opinion the report should have been accepted by the Cabinet. When asked what he was going to do about Gandhi’s personal view, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said he would convey it to his colleagues.

Maharashtra has a coalition government of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party.

As part of the price-control measures, after January 15, farmers in Congress-ruled states can sell directly in wholesale markets without paying the mandi tax. This could lower the retail prices of fruits and vegetables. Strict action would be taken against those found profiteering, and the public distribution system in states ruled by the Congress would be overhauled, Gandhi said. Women's self-help groups and cooperative bodies would be encouraged to sell fruits, vegetables and eggs at lower prices. Congress states would pass the Lok Ayukta Act before February 28, it was decided at the meeting.

Gandhi said what the Congress chief ministers were trying to do was bring in systems to end corruption. "But only one party talks about the framework in which decisions should be taken. We have been saying 'let's have a session of the House and create a framework'. But when we say it, others start shouting in Parliament. A lot of speeches are made but there is no forward movement in Parliament," he said, frustration evident.But Gandhi was persistently questioned about Adarsh. Finally he got irritated at the questioning and got up.

After their presentations had been made, Gandhi met Chief Ministers individually to talk about specific issues related to their states.

FIVE-POINT AGENDA

* All Congress-ruled states to have Lok Ayuktas before February 28

* All Congress-ruled states to delist fruit and vegetables from the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Act, to enable farmers to sell produce in markets directly; action by January 15

* All Congress chief ministers to implement the Essential Services Maintenance Act to deal with hoarding, black marketing and profiteering

* All Congress states to immediately implement Public Distribution System reforms, to eliminate leakages and to ensure foodgrain reach the intended beneficiaries

* All Congress-ruled states to have fair price shops to sell essential commodities at reasonable prices