AGARTALA, August 19 (TIWN):Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha today straightaway denied the state government’s liability for the Tripura’s current economic condition having the highest inflation in the country and said that state governments couldn’t have any control on local market prices in an open market economy.

“We could have probably imposed some restrictions if there were instances of black-marketing or negative growth of the state market. But in an free market economy where individuals or corporations are now calling the shots at price fixation, which is again logical due to the high transport cost from the Indian mainland to a far-fetched state like Tripura and the low shelf life of perishable goods like food and other consumer products, the state governments don’t have much to do”, he said.

Speaking to reporters in the sidelines of an official interaction here this morning, Finance Minister Saha said that Congress was accusing the state government of being liable in bringing about the current economic condition and said that the opposition party was trying to confuse people by picking up faults wherever they could.

“Tripura is a consumer state and not a productive one. If the price can’t be controlled at the source, there is no way that the state governments can do it”, Saha maintained.

The Tripura Pradesh Congress alleged earlier this month that Tripura was recorded to have got the highest inflation rate across the country. PCC spokesperson Dr. Ashok Sinha said that the state government had lost all control mechanism to contain price rise in its internal market and said quoting the latest National Consumer Price Index report that the state had 20.6 percent inflation rate – the highest across the country.

Dr. Sinha further alleged that Dearness Allowance (DA) and DR allowed to state government employees and pensioners is one of the lowest in the country. ”This is totally in disconnect with the requirement”, the PCC leader had claimed.