Sonia says price rise a matter of concern

New Delhi, Dec 8 (PTI) Congress President Sonia Gandhi
has personally spoken to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
over the rise in prices of essential commodities, which she
said was a matter of highest concern.

"Price rise of essential commodities continues to be a
matter of highest concern to us," Gandhi said in the latest
issue of party mouthpiece 'Congress Sandesh'.
"I have personally spoken to the Prime Minister and the
Finance Minister on the issue and they have assured me that
the government will take every possible step to address the
issue," she said.
Gandhi said the situation has been particularly
exacerbated by the failure of the monsoons in various parts of
the country.
She said, "the state governments will also have a vital
role to play in ensuring access of essential commodities to
the people at affordable prices".

Sonia Gandhi said mineral-rich Jharkhand in east India
was lagging behind on all fronts because of political
instability for the last nine years and appealed to masses to
vote for Congress, which would take the state forward on the
path of development.
Claiming that Congress has always fought for the
interest of the tribals and weaker sections of the society,
Gandhi said former prime minister Indira Gandhi had
nationalized the mining sector and framed mining policy which
benefited local people and industries set up.
However, several of these industries were now closed
owing to misrule of the previous governments, she said
promising that Congress would take all possible steps to
revive the closed units.
The UPA chairperson claimed that several welfare
measures including introduction of midday meal in schools,
distribution of bicycles and scholarship among meritorious
tribal students, construction of two lakh houses under Indira
Gandhi Awas Yojana have been taken ever since President's rule
in Jharkhand came into force.
People have voted the Congress-led UPA back to power
at the Centre, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh and Haryana only
because of its performance, she said and appealed to give the
Congress a chance to serve Jharkhand too. PTI BS
MYR