The mango that broke a market
It is peak mango season in India. The Alphonso harvest is at its richest, the Kesar at its most fragrant.
BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday accused the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government of being responsible for the steep price rise in Kerala.
In a statement issued here, Chandrasekhar said the primary reason for Kerala recording the highest inflation in the country is the “economic mismanagement” of the state government.
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“Kerala has topped the national inflation list for the eighth consecutive month. This is a clear reflection of the economic mismanagement of the Pinarayi Vijayan government,” the BJP Kerala chief said.
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Quoting data from the Union Ministry of Statistics, Chandrasekhar said Kerala’s inflation in August stood at 9.4 per cent.
“The people of Kerala are facing such high inflation at a time when the national average has come down to 2.07 per cent. This is clear evidence of the incompetence of the LDF government,” he added.
Chandrasekhar further said the people of Kerala are suffering the consequences of financial mismanagement while the rest of the country benefits from a declining trend in inflation.
Highlighting the contrast with the national economy, he pointed out that while the Narendra Modi government has kept inflation below the 4 per cent target set by the Reserve Bank of India, Kerala’s rate is spiralling out of control month after month.
He also noted that Congress-ruled Karnataka follows Kerala in terms of high inflation, while BJP-ruled states record the lowest.
“The national average inflation rate is 2.07 per cent, and the rate is lower in BJP-ruled states. Uttar Pradesh has the lowest at 0.26 per cent, followed by Rajasthan at 0.99 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat at 1.24 per cent each,” Chandrasekhar said.
He credited the Modi government’s “far-sighted and agile policies” for bringing down the country’s inflation rate to its lowest in the past eight years.
“The country’s inflation rate has reached its lowest level in eight years, but in contrast, Kerala’s inflation has grown like a palm tree, reaching 9.4 per cent,” he said.
Chandrasekhar alleged that while the Modi government is strengthening the national economy, the Kerala Chief Minister and his government are “busy demolishing the state’s economic stability.”
He also accused the state government of imposing a “hidden tax burden” on the people.
“More than 175 items have seen price reductions nationwide through GST reforms, but the benefits are not reaching the people of Kerala due to the inefficiency of the LDF government,” he claimed.
“Despite this alarming financial situation, the government is doing nothing to intervene in the market, control prices, or take corrective measures,” Chandrasekhar alleged.
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