16-31 Mar, 2010 - Bharatiya Janata Party

ProformaNation-wide signature campaign against price riseToHer ExcellencyThe President of IndiaDear Madam,Sub:- Appeal from public reeling under price-riseYou are aware that the people of this country areextremely suffering from unprecedented price-rise. Thesky-rocketing price-rise i.e. the rice at Rs. 40/- per kg,sugar at Rs. 45/- per kg, edible oil at Rs. 60-80/- per kg,pulse at Rs. 80-100/- per kg and tea at Rs. 250/- per kghave spoiled the budget of Aam Aadmi. The price-risehas reversed the life-style of people, increased malnutrition,decreased actual salary packet and made twosquaremeals to poor people a difficult proposition.Madam, the Central Government's current policieshave left the price-rise unchecked. The Governmenthas permitted Private businessmen and Multi-nationalcompanies to purchase grains from the Kisans directly.This brought lesser quantity of food grains togovernment godowns and the private companiesmanaged to hoard the food-grains unchecked. Thesupply of food-grains in the market decreased and pricesgot escalated. The poor men should get 35 kilo cerealin a month under Antyodaya Scheme but he gets onlyhalf of this quantity. Despite the full knowledge oflesser production of sugar-cane in the country, 48 lakhtonnes sugar was exported at the rate Rs. 12 per kgwhich is now being imported back @ Rs. 30 per kg. Thisis a great scam. Similar scam was also committed in riceexport.The Government of the day is not paying profitableprice to the kisans of the country as per therecommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. So,the kisans are facing crisis and large number of them areresorting to suicides. Thus, not only the kisans aredying but also consumers are being looted. TheGovernment policies are boosting future trading andbenefiting hoarders, profiteers and speculators. Lakhsand crores of rupees are being exchanged in futuretrading. The government has put no check on this malpractice.Public Distribution System stands destroyed. Thegovernment which refused to pay Rs. 800 to country'sfarmers, has now agreed to pay Rs. 1600 to foreignfarmers. The imported wheat was found sub-standard.10 lakh tonnes of pulse was imported this year out ofwhich around 8 lakh tonnes of pulse got damaged atvarious ports. Such wrong decisions and incapabilitiesof the Central Government has further propelled theprice-rise.In the circumstances, the government should havebrought large quantity of food-grains out of the bufferstock,future tradings stopped, kisans should have beenassured of remunerative prices, should have amendedEssential Commodities Act, 1955, essential commoditiesshould have been provided to the needy personsthrough Public Distribution System. Instead of initiatingall these measures, the Ministers of the government aremaking predictions of further price-rise. This has furtherworsened the situation.Now the water has gone over head. Madam, wehumbly request you to direct the government to acceptfollowing demands. Demands are as follows:-1. All Card-holders including APL card-holdersshould be provided adequate quantity of wheat,rice, sugar, pulse and edible oil, at reasonable ratethrough Public Distribution System by givingsubsidies.2. Future trading in food-grains should be bannedforth-with.3. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) should beconstituted to make fair and impartial enquiry intothe great scams of future trading and export-importinvolving sugar, rice and wheat.4. The kisans should be assured of getting profitableprices by accepting Swaminathan Commissionformula.5. The Essential Commodities Act 1955 should beupdated to effectively contain hoarding.6. Adequate food-grains should be made available inmarkets to control price-rise. Financial reformsshould be adopted to contain price-rise. •S/No Name Address Signature/Thumb ImpressionMarch 16-31, 2010 30