PR ENGLISH SHORTHAND DICTATIONS: ENGLISH SHORTHAND DICTATION-276

Mr. Vice-Chairman, Sir, I thank you for allowing me to take part in today's Short Duration Discussion on the issue of price rise. The subject is very important. For the last 16 days, the House could not discuss any Bill or any issue. As assured by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, time is allotted today to discuss this topic. Sir, today, the world economy is passing through a critical time. Due to Coronavirus and Ukraine-Russia war, the world economy is passing through a critical phase. Today, the growth percentage of a powerful country like the United States has declined. The banking¹⁰⁰ industry in China is facing a serious threat due to non-payment by builders and real estate businessmen. In this critical¹²⁰ time, the rate of inflation is seven per cent in our country. No doubt it is high, but in this¹⁴⁰ critical time, it is reasonable. Sir, we should remember one thing. Under the leadership of this Government, one ration card¹⁶⁰ is applicable in the entire country. It is really helpful to migrant workers. During the pandemic, we have seen sufferings¹⁸⁰ and problems of migrant workers. They walked hundreds of kilometres without food and water. But, after the 'One Nation, One²⁰⁰ Ration Card' scheme was introduced by the Narendra Modi Government, the migrant workers all over India have been benefitted. Sir, there is one more point about GST. I have one request through this House and through you to²⁴⁰ the GST Council. Small tea growers in Assam and the North Eastern Region play a very important role in the socio-economic development of our region. I would request the GST Council to consider withdrawing the²⁸⁰ GST against the small tea growers.

Sir, price rise in essential commodities is a slow poison which is killing the people of this country. As you have said, I have only two minutes; I am skipping so many things.³²⁰ The common citizens are now suffering from a price-rise pandemic after the COVID pandemic. The price hike mostly affects only the lower middle-class families. Taxi drivers are robbed of their livelihood. Our fishing community also suffers the most³⁶⁰ since fishermen use diesel for their boats and trawlers. They live from hand to mouth and they are exposed to the rough weather of the sea. Sometimes, they get the catch of fish and sometimes they have to return empty-handed.⁴⁰⁰ In the sea, there is also the threat of attack by the Sri Lankan Navy. Many times, they are attacked⁴²⁰ and killed. The Government is coming with the excuse that because of rise in the price of crude oil in the international market, they are increasing the price of petrol. But the Union Government is not bringing down the excise duty and cess which is more than 50 per cent. Recently, the Government has marginally reduced the rate of duty⁴⁸⁰ on petrol and diesel. This is only a token relief to the common people. To add insult to injury, the⁵⁰⁰ Union Government has levied GST on food articles like rice, wheat, milk, and milk products. It will have a cascading effect on the economy. Even the rooms taken on rent in hospitals are being taxed. The Union Government is not sparing anyone. It is because of wrong monetary policies of this Government that there⁵⁶⁰ is a devaluation of Indian Rupee against the US Dollar and, due to that, all imports are getting costlier, including the oil import bill. My demand is that the Union Government should roll back the price of LPG⁶⁰⁰ cylinders to the price level of 2014. The Union Government should make all-out efforts to monitor and control the prices of essential commodities and daily needs of the common people.

Mr. Chairman, Sir, I thank you for giving me the⁶⁴⁰ opportunity. The main reason behind rise in prices of essential commodities is unabated increase in the price of petrol and diesel. It is not just the common man but even a small businessman like a restaurant owner is suffering. At present, the only solution is to bring the petrol and diesel under GST. My strong protest is for⁷⁰⁰ hiking the prices of LPG cylinder also. Recently, the Central Government had included many essential food items within⁷²⁰ the GST slab. It puts extra burden on common people. The entire population has not yet recovered from the shock of COVID-19 pandemic. Adding to this, the Government has brought essential items like rice, wheat, flour, milk and curd within the ambit of GST slab. This is totally uncalled for.

Hon. Chairperson, at the outset, I register my strong protest against the State Government of Andhra Pradesh for not reducing the excise duty on petrol and diesel.⁸⁰⁰ Most of the States had reduced the excise duty on petrol and diesel and the Central Government had also reduced it on two occasions. But the State Government of Andhra Pradesh had not reduced the excise duty. This had caused⁸⁴⁰ serious financial burden on the people of Andhra Pradesh. The effect of non-reduction of excise duty by the State Government is such that it has caused further price rise in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The need of the hour is to contain the inflation. If the inflation keeps on rising continuously, the prices will increase and there⁹⁰⁰ shall be a financial burden on all the sections of the society, particularly the marginalized sections of the society. Time and again, the Government has claimed that several measures have been taken to address the inflation. The Government should ensure that the supply side is maintained properly. The extent of the land under cultivation has to be increased considerably in⁹⁶⁰ order to achieve self-reliance. How can we reduce this inflation? The only way is self-reliance. This is the solution for⁹⁸⁰ the overall development of the sector. The Government has to consider the fact that the income of the people has¹⁰⁰⁰ not been increased. Vulnerable sections of the society are suffering due to high prices of essential commodities. Price rise is a reality. We should not escape from this by giving several justifications. The Government should do something to reduce the burden of the common man. I request the hon. Finance Minister to take steps in this direction.

Mr. Chairman, Sir, we have discussed this issue of price rise in the Parliament on a number of occasions. In the same way,¹⁰⁸⁰ we are discussing it today also. The price rise is a common phenomenon now. It cannot be controlled by the¹¹⁰⁰ Central Government alone. State Governments also have to play their role to control the prices. That is why, during our¹¹²⁰ regime in Tamil Nadu, so many incentives were given to the farmers and free rice was also given to the people to control the prices. In the Lok Sabha, our Finance Minister raised the point that the core promises that are given to the people have to be fulfilled. I want to say about the DMK Government in Tamil Nadu that the electricity bills have gone up. They have been increasing the bills. They had promised during the polls that they would reduce the prices of petrol and diesel. They have reduced the price of petrol, but the¹²⁰⁰ price of diesel has not been reduced. Even our Finance Minister had raised this issue in the Lok Sabha. Whatever promises were made by the State Government of Tamil Nadu have not been fulfilled. That is why, price rise is there. Regarding GST, I want to say that the GST is the child of the Congress.¹²⁶⁰ They had brought the GST. The concept of GST was brought during the UPA Government.¹²⁸⁰ Our Party was also a part of that Government. But that Government could not do anything. Prices have increased because of GST. That is a fact. I accept this fact.

Sir, if powerful speeches could have the capacity to control prices, it could have happened yesterday. The speech that our Madam Finance Minister made in Lok Sabha yesterday was very powerful. It was a very good and powerful speech, but the fact is not like that. Everybody knows that there is a world of difference between what the BJP Government is saying and what is happening in the country. Their words go in one direction but the country's life goes to the opposite direction. Sir, yesterday,¹⁴⁰⁰ in the speech in Lok Sabha, the hon. Finance Minister talked about robust economy. She told one more thing. She told us that we should not compare India with Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. Instead, we should compare it with the¹⁴⁴⁰ United States. We can compare India with the United States. In the United States, one per cent of the total population controls 37 per cent of the wealth. In India, it is 77 per cent. You compare it. In the same way, compare the strength of the currency in the United States and India. I can predict here¹⁵⁰⁰ that within a couple of weeks, our rupee would become hundred per dollar. This is what is happening. She talked about the banking system, the NPA and how they reduced it. I should call it a magic. What the Finance Minister did in the banking sector is a magic. The NPA is there but she did haircuts. Haircuts are nothing but concessions given to the looters and, in that way, they claim that they have reduced the NPA. The whole exercise of the Government in the economy is like that. It is the common⁶⁰⁰ man who is suffering.