Mamata urges PM to convene all-party meeting on price rise

Kolkata, Nov 22 : Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress is the second largest constituent in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene an all-party meeting on the price rise issue.

"I raised the price rise issue in a meeting convened by Speaker Meira Kumar ahead of the Lok Sabha winter session. I have also suggested to the prime minister that he convene an all-party meeting on price rise," Banerjee said in an interview to a private Bengali news channel Star Ananda telecast Sunday night.

Banerjee said she took up the issue with the UPA bigwigs and had emphasised the need for a directive to the states to initiate steps to check price escalation.

"If there is some shortcoming on the central government's part, it should do its bit. I have been very clear in my stand," she said.

Banerjee also rapped the West Bengal government, saying it has not done anything on its part to augment production of essentials and contain increasing prices.

"If the centre's responsibility is 10 percent, the state government's responsibility is 90 percent for the hardship the state's common people are facing."

Continuing her attack on the state government, she said the Left Front did not even lift its quota of rice and pulses, which has led to a shortage of the essentials in the market.