Shortage of rice in Thiruvananthapuram market creating an alarming situation.

Spiralling prices: BJP leaders observe fast before Secretariat

Pioneer News Service | Thiruvananthapuram

The BJP State leaders observed a fast in front of the Secretariat from morning till evening in protest against the failure of the Central and State Governments to provide relief to the common man from the spiralling costs of essential commodities including rice and pulses. BJP State president PK Krishnadas inaugurated the fast on Friday.

The State BJP president said that Chief Minister Achuthanandan and the Leader of the Opposition Oomen Chandy were cheating the people by playing political dramas as the Central Government which is led by Chandy’s party is supported by Achuthanandan’s party. He said that the Congress and the CPI(M) did not have any moral right to speak on the behalf of the people as both have failed in bringing relief to the people .

The BJP State leaders MS Kumar, AN Radhakrishnan and others were present.

Krishnadas while speaking to The Pioneer said, “The CPI(M) and the Congress are playing politics with the people of the State. The State Government is not serious in solving the issue of the rice prices and the farmers are suffering owing to the wrong policies of the Government. The Congress is leading a coalition Government at the Centre supported by the CPI(M) and other Left forces and they have no right to speak on behalf of the people of Kerala as this is their duty to stop the sufferings of the people of the State.”

Meanwhile, the price of rice is increasing by the day with the Chalai market in Thiruvananthapuram charging s 23 for one kg of Sulekha rice which is one of the favourite variety for the people of the area.

Babu Nair, a businessman in East Fort while speaking to The Pioneer said, “Kollam is the wholesale rice market for the southern States and the rice stock in the market is exhausted. We don’t know what we are going to do as there is acute shortage of all the rice varieties.”

With the stock drained in Kollam, the traders predict a shortage of rice in Thiruvananthapuram market creating an alarming situation. State Food Minister C Divakaran while addressing a programme on Thursday said that the Government would bring rice to the State and that there was no reason for panic to the people.

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