While New Delhi recorded a 24 per cent rise in prices, Calcutta recorded 13.8 per cent, Chennai, 12.3 per cent, while Mumbai recorded 11.61 per cent. ``The price rise in Mumbai is lower than even the national average of 14.5 per cent,'' Joshi said in a statement.

Joshi said his Government was able to halt the spiral in prices of essential commodities owing to the freezing of Public Distribution System prices at the 1995 level, when the alliance government came to power.

Joshi said although the central issue prices saw an increase, his government continued to supply sugar at Rs 9.05 per kg, wheat at Rs 5 and rice at Rs 7.90 per kg. Foodgrains were supplied to families below the poverty line at lower rates. ``We have to make a budgetary provision of Rs 217 crore in the current year to freezeprices of these commodities,'' Joshi added.

Joshi said while his government stabilised prices at the 1995 level, the `real price rise' was in the vegetable and edible oil sectors. ``The State witnessed an increase in the prices of onions by 477 per cent, potatoes by 123 per cent and a substantial hike in dry chillies and groundnut oil,'' he said, adding, to meet the challenge, his government distributed onions as well as edible oil under the Public District System network.

Joshi has asked the Centre to reimburse atleast 50 % of the expenditure met by the State Government to contain the price rise.