Inflation only weak point: Raghuvansh

Minister for Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has flayed his own government over the rising inflation in the recent months. "Inflation is the only area where the government is scoring minus points," he said.

Expressing his concern over the inflation figure reaching the 6.4 per cent mark, Singh said the various ministries, government departments and agencies need to act now to curb the figure or else the common man would suffer.

Terming inflation as the burning topic, Singh said he had raised the issue with fellow ministers including Finance Minister P Chidambaram, apart from raising it in the Cabinet discussions.

Meanwhile, the Left parties have reiterated their demand to reduce petrol and diesel prices by restructuring duties and taxes to contain inflation.

CPI(M) Politburo member and MP Sitaram Yechury, who had been invited by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora on Monday evening for a discussion on inflation, told the minister that the government had to cut import duty on crude oil and excise duty on petrol and diesel to bring down the prices of petroleum products that could check the current inflationary trend.

Yechury also cited the Left parties' recent note containing their wishlist for the forthcoming Budget. The note had recommended to the government to take concrete steps to do away with the ad valorem duty structure on oil imports and replace it by specific duties.