Concrete steps needed to check price rise: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday asserted that concrete steps are needed to check price rise in the coming fiscal .

Admitting that handling inflation is a shortcoming of the UPA government, he said  that during the UPA regime, the average rate of inflation has remained higher than we desired.

Speaking at the All India Congress Committee meeting on the concluding day of the 'Chintan Shivir' in Jaipur, he said the main reason for hike was rising international prices of crude oil.

He said another factor was a hike in minimum support price of crops by the government for the benefit of farmers.

"The main reason has been an increase in international prices of petroleum products. Second, the prices of crops had been raised substantially for the benefit of farmers," he said.

There was a need to take solid steps to deal with price rise in 2013-14, he said.

With agency inputs