Taming inflation is top priority for govt, says Arun Jaitley

Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said  containing inflation is the most important priority of the new government.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the FM said though monsoon had not covered the country as per expectations, the government had enough stocks of food grains in its godowns to keep inflation under control.

While wholesale inflation declined to 5-month low of 5.19 per cent in July on account of decline in vegetable prices, consumer price inflation rose to a two-month high of 7.96 percent in the same month.

Referring to the recent SC judgement on coal blocks allocated by various governments between 1993-2009, Jaitley said the fate of the coal blocks can't be allowed to hang in mid air and expressed hope that the court will reach a final decision on them soon.
 
The Supreme Court on August 25, 2014 held as illegal about 200 coal blocks which were awarded over the period to private steel, cement and power companies for their own consumption.