NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday met the Left leaders to discuss the price rise crisis and said that the government was taking all necessary steps to deal with the problem and that there was no need for political parties to indulge in scare-mongering.

Asking the political parties to avoid the temptation of politicising the misery of the people, Singh warned them against creating an environment of scarcity that would encourage speculators and hoarders.

Government’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru said that the PM has ruled out any major impact of global subprime crisis on the Indian economy.

Baru said, the PM stated that this year, normal monsoons were expected and also assured the delegation that this would help in curbing inflation to an extent as the UPA government was already taking measures to boost agricultural productivity.

The Left parties had given a number of suggestions to the government by way of measures to tackle the rise in prices.

The CPI (M) delegation also requested the PM to lower the custom and excise duties on edible oils and reduce the prices of petrol and diesel.

The demands put forward by them are: strengthening public distribution system and restoring cuts made in supply of foodgrains to states under the PDS, a ban on forward and future trading in 25 essential commodities as recommended by a parliamentary panel, slashing of customs and excise duties on petroleum products and stringent against black-marketers and hoarders.

Besides Karat, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja and RSP leader Abani Roy were present at the meeting.