Pawar under fire at CWC meeting

Pawar under fire at CWC meeting : NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee, which met in New Delhi on Friday to deliberate price rise, saw a sharp attack on NCP chief and
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for failing to reign in the cost of essential items.

The development puts the government in a vulnerable position as it has given the Opposition an opportunity to attack the Centre at Saturday’s chief minister’s conference on the same issue. Blaming Mr Pawar for rising costs of essential items such as pulses, oil, vegetables, sugar and milk will see the focus of attack on the Centre.

Congress, which unofficially broadcast criticism of Mr Pawar’s handling of the agriculture ministry, employed the same tactic to hit out at its ally. "Work should be done a little more seriously...there should not be unnecessary warnings (about the scarcity of things)," a CWC leader said recalling the statements on price of sugar and milk made by Mr Pawar.

The source said Mr Pawar was not named but there was indirect criticism about his statement on the shortage of milk supplies. "If he speaks of it himself, then hoarding is bound to take place," a CWC member said. Congress sources indicated that Satyavrat Chaturvedi, who had earlier targeted Mr Pawar on sugarcane prices, was one of the leaders to have talked of Mr Pawar’s shortcomings.

Another leader speaking after the meeting was unsparing. "You know about the weather forecasts... we have a minister who adopts the same model. He talks of the rising milk prices and then they go up," the leader said, accusing Mr Pawar for having talked up prices.

The price rise issue dominated CWC proceedings, also attended by all chief ministers of the party. Congress president Sonia Gandhi opened the meeting by "expressing serious concern" about the issue. She raised issues such as the political situation in Telangana, celebrations for Congress' 125th anniversary, organisational polls and suggestions for the Budget 2010.

The PM who spoke at the end of the meeting 'painted an overall picture' according to one leader, and held the fact that India was doing "exceptionally well on the GDP front" as encouraging in the context of the impact of price rise on the poor.

Congress media department chairman Janardan Dwivedi said Mr Singh had talked of the various pro-poor schemes of the UPA government and their impact on the lives of the poor. "We are trying to control inflation...in keeping with the steps taken by the government in the last few years we were able to weather the global financial crisis and we will be able to progress in the same way," he said paraphrasing Mr Singh’s comments to CWC.