Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari has posed 14 qustions on price rise in a letter to the Prime Minister. Here are the questions ad verbatim -

1. Where have things gone wrong?
11%  inflation in India is highest in the world.
Though Chinese GDP growth is 9.5% (India 7.2%), China has  2%  inflation and India 11%

2. Do you deny that inflation in India is  11% as against global inflation of 1 to 2% ?
Sugar price in India is more than double and wheat 80% more than  prices in other countries.

3. Is it not true that the prices of food articles are 80% higher than in the world market?

4. Is it not a fact that Prices of Essential Commodities doubled during your regime?

5. Don’t you agree that down trodden and middle class find it difficult to make meets end?
48 lac tons sugar exported at Rs.12.50 and re-imported at Rs. 22 to 32 per kg

6.  You prefer to export  sugar at Rs.12.50/kg and import it at Rs.22  but not create any buffer stock.  Don’t you owe an explanation to the people?

7.  Do you plead ignorance about your scandalous export –import policies?
” The Planning Commission put BPL population in its 2005 report at 31 crores. December 2009 Tendulkar Committee puts it at 42 crores, and still You claim “Garibi Ghatti Hai.

8. Then why 42 crores people of rural India are still below poverty line?  Are you really giving them food?  

9. Govt. godowns are overflowing & food grains are getting rotten. Then why prices are skyrocketing, leaving poor people half fed?

10. Is it not true that the Govt appointed Saxena Committee pointed out that 51 % poor have been denied BPL ration card and deprived of food grains?
Agriculture growth on December 2009 is negative  –0.2 %.  In spite of this, the Govt. has provided a meager Rs.900 crores, i.e. 0.075%, for agriculture development out of Rs.12 lac crores total budget.

11. What do you have to say about this?

Item    Price Paid to Farmers Rs./kg    Retail Price Rs./kg   % Difference

Rice                  9.80                       23.00            135

Tur Dal               23.00                      90.00            290

Moong                 27.60                      70.00            150

Wheat                 10.80                      17.00             65

Jowar                  8.60                      13.00             50

Bajra                  8.40                      15.00             75



12.  Why farmers get the least, aam aadmi pays the most?

Out of Rs.8,03,842 crores turnover of 2009 at National Commodity Exchange-NCDEX, delivery was 0.28%, i.e. Rs.2,243 crores

13. Manipulative turnover/ demand is pushing  the prices. Whom are you benefiting?                               
   Speculators?           Manipulators?          Multi-nationals?

Government ministers go on making speculative statements about the food shortages / less production.

14. What are the vested interests of your Govt. in making suggestive forecasts about shortages in food production?  Is it to check prices or to create panic?