The opposition members, while participating in the discussion on the Interim Budget 2009-10, said that despite the rate of inflation coming down to four per cent, the prices of essential commodities are still running high.

Kashiram Rana from the BJP and K Yerran Naidu from the TDP were the prominent among those who spoke of the government’s “failure” to check price rise.

Rana, representing Surat, wanted the government to give an unemployment dole to the workers engaged in the diamond cutting industry,which has been hit hard by the meltdown.

Naidu alleged that the Congress-led coalition was unsympathetic to the plight of the farmers who were still committing suicides in different parts of the country.

Mohan Rawale from the Shiv Sena accused the government of committing a fraud on the people through the Indo-US nuclear deal.

This, he said, was clear from the CAG report which spoke of the government's failure to develop massive thorium resources.