Wrapping up a debate on price rise, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said the government might devise a way to see that owners of diesel cars did not benefit from the subsidy provided on the fuel, noting that they make up 15 per cent of the diesel consumption right now.
“We can accept your (Opposition) suggestion and try to work out what mechanism could be found so that this section (diesel car owners) are not subsidised,” Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha.
The suggestion had come from JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, who had initiated the discussion along with Yashwant Sinha of the BJP yesterday.
Political posturing was in full play after Mukherjee finished his hour-long reply. First members of the Samajwadi Party and BSP staged a walkout — a strategic move that ensured that the ruling UPA would be comfortable in the case of any vote in the House on a motion. Taking a dig at the SP and BSP, Sinha said those who always help the government were going out of the House.
An amendment was then moved by CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta, on the “failure” of the government to control food inflation, after which CPM floor leader Basudeb Acharia pressed for a division. A total of 51 members belonging to the Left parties, Biju Janata Dal, AIADMK, Telugu Desam and JD(S) voted for the amendment, while 320 people belonging to the UPA and NDA opposed it.
Later, the Left-led parties walked out when the NDA moved a motion asking the government to take immediate steps to check inflation. This motion was carried through in the House.
While replying to the Lok Sabha discussion, Mukherjee also said the government was working towards moderating the food inflation to 5 per cent while sustaining growth. “Growth with moderate rate of inflation... that is what we want,” he said. The current level of food inflation of 8 per cent was unacceptable, Mukherjee added. “It should be around 5 per cent which will be comfortable... 6-7 per cent can be tolerated.”
As regards farmers, Mukherjee said the government had been raising the minimum support price for paddy and wheat, though it might not have been to the satisfaction of MPs. “But it is not that nothing has been done.”
Joining issue with Sinha over his concluding remark that the Opposition would be compelled to ask the Government “Go, for God’s sake, Go”, he said these were famous words of Oliver Cromwell in 1653. “What happened afterwards? Democracy went down”.
Sinha expressed his disappointment over Mukherjee’s reply. “I had expected that the Finance Minister would announce 10 steps to be taken in the coming days and months to control inflation... not even one has been mentioned. So I express my disappointment... the NDA is disappointed.”
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