Effective steps taken to check prices in HP: CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the state government has taken effective steps to check high prices of essentials and would increase the food subsidy if required.

"Making provision for food subsidy to the tune of over Rs 100 crore and fixing prices of food grains are some of the steps taken to keep prices of essential commodities under control," he said in a debate on the state budget 2007-08 in the Vidhan Sabha.

If needed the volume of subsidy on food items would be further raised to give relief to the people, he added.

The chief minister blamed the erstwhile BJP regime for the "bad financial health" of the state. He said when the BJP formed government in 1998, the total outstanding borrowing of the state was Rs 4,421.96 crore, which rose to Rs 12,393.10 crore by 2003, when the Congress came into power.

Amid a walkout by the BJP MLAs, he said about 25,000 new members were added to the social security pension scheme. "Raising ex-gratia payment in case of death and accident due to natural calamity by amending relief manual were other progressive steps," he said.