The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition disrupted Kerala Assembly proceedings on February 15 (Thursday) accusing the Kerala government of imposing a backdoor price increase on 13 subsidised provisions, including rice, sugar and pulses, retailed at less-than-market rates through State-owned Supplyco outlets.
The bedlam broke out when Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan accused Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil of keeping the House in the dark about the crucial decision that, he cautioned, could spur seller inflation, exacerbate the cost of living crisis and upend the budgets of lakhs of ordinary families which rely on Supplyco stores to put food on the table at affordable prices.
Mr. Satheesan said that Mr. Anil announced the momentous decision to the media while the House was in session.
“The Minister had held the House in contempt and committed an egregious breach of parliamentary privilege”, said Mr. Satheesan.
He accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of walking back from its election manifesto commitment not to increase the cost of essentials retailed through Supplyco outlets.
Mr. Satheesan said neither Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan nor Mr. Anil had told the Assembly that the government would revise the rate of basic supplies retailed through Supplyco stores, despite the Opposition serving an adjournment motion notice on the subject.
“Instead, the government took the decision to hike Supplyco prices in an underhanded manner and deliberately kept the House in the dark to pre-empt a debate and fend off public criticism”, he said.
‘Extortionate fuel cess’
Mr. Satheesan said the government’s extortionate cess on diesel and petrol had increased the cost of daily commutes and freight movement.
He said the LDF had hiked water and electricity tariffs and building and property tax and service charges, further burdening a debt-ridden polity reeling under inflation and low economic growth.
Govt. denies UDF charges
However, Mr. Anil denied that the government had decided to hike the price of essentials retailed at subsidised rates via Supplyco outlets as alleged by the Opposition.
“I have not kept the House in the dark or made any such announcement to the media”, he added.
Mr. Anil claimed that the government had decided to increase Supplyco subsidy from 25% to 35%.
“The E.K. Nayanar government started Maveli stores in 1989 to insulate people from the fluctuating prices of rice, sugar and pulses. Successive LDF governments added 10 more essential provisions to the list of subsidised items. The UDF government revised Supplyco prices in 2014. The LDF has not recalibrated the rates since”, he added.
Mr. Anil said the government owed Supplyco vendors an estimated ₹1,525 crore. It incurred ₹424 crore annually for subsidising provisions (35% of the market price) retailed through Supplyco outlets.
Almost 40 lakh working class families rely solely on Maveli stores to stock their larders. Despite the financial crisis precipitated by the Central government’s fiscal embargo on Kerala, the LDF government has hiked Supplyco subsidy by 10%, he said.
Opposition MLAs protest
Dissatisfied with the reply, Opposition legislators trooped into the well of the House. They displayed placards and banners portraying the government as “anti-people” and mobbed the Speaker’s dais.
Earlier, Speaker A.N. Shamseer had denied the Opposition’s attempt to introduce an adjournment motion notice seeking the leave of the House to debate the “wanton assault” by Mr. Vijayan’s security detail on Opposition protesters detained by the Alappuzha police during the Navakerala Sadas.
UDF legislators brushed aside Mr. Shamseer’s repeated entreaties to return to their seats. His request to Opposition MLAs not to block the Chair’s view of the Chamber fell on deaf ears.
Mr. Shamseer said he had no recourse but to hurry through the day’s proceedings. He requested the Ministers to lay their replies to submissions on the table. He concluded the day’s legislative business in a jiffy.
The Speaker adjourned the House sine die at the Chief Minister’s request.
