THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition on Monday staged a walkout from the Legislative Assembly after Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan denied permission to conduct a discussion on the adjournment motion moved by M Vincent, MLA, of the Congress.
The adjournment motion which was on the rising prices of essential commodities and food items was not allowed for discussion by the Speaker since Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothamanan and Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar’s were replying to the queries raised by the member.
Vincent, while moving the adjournment motion, stated the living condition of the common man in the state is pitiable and that the price of essential commodities has hit an all-time high. He said the government should intervene in the market and control the price hike.
He said the prices of rice, sugar, grains and other essential commodities have sky-rocketed. He also pointed out that the price of fish is soaring, adding that the prices of building materials, cement and paint have also risen steeply making construction almost impossible.
Thilothaman in his reply speech said the government has intervened to control price hike and said the price of popular ‘Jaya’ variety of rice which was sold at Rs 50 per kg has come down to Rs 32 and this is owing to the market intervention by the government and the department.
‘More women work in private sector’
T’Puram: More women are working in the organised private sector when compared to men while the participation of women in government jobs remains low. According to the job data released for the organised sector in the state for December 2018, Labour Minister T P Ramakrishnan said women form 50.1 per cent of 6.78 lakh workers in the private sector. The public sector gives jobs only to 34.34 per cent of the 5.59 lakh-strong workforce. According to the Minister, better education among women was limiting their presence in the workforce. “Women in the state are better educated,” he said.