Eluru, November 16: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday stated that the state government was making sincere efforts to reduce skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.
Talking to media persons after participating in the Racha Banda programme, the Chief Minister admitted that the prices of essential commodities were on the rise as they were linked to national and international markets. Stating that Rs 1 a-kg rice scheme would benefit the people below poverty line, he said that the government was taking all steps to contain inflation.
The Chief Minister said that a State-level committee would be appointed under the chairmanship of a Cabinet Minister to monitor prices of essential commodities and suggest measures for containing inflation.
Kiran Kumar Reddy said that he had appealed to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to increase the minimum support price for paddy. He said that 5 lakh ration cards would be given to beneficiaries in the second phase of Racha Banda programme. He also assured that the government would construct 15 lakh houses for poor.
Stating that the government would provide drinking water facility to 7,000 schools, he said steps would also be taken for the construction of toilets in 30,000 schools across the state.
Earlier, Kiran Kumar Reddy has inaugurated a road over bridge constructed with a cost of Rs 30 crore in the district.
——Agencies