Party spokesperson Girija Vyas said that the price hike would have a spiral effect and common people will be badly hit. For example, she said, the hike in wheat prices under the PDS scheme was resulting in a similar rise in free market wheat too and this would end up in increased prices of atta and suji also.

The Congress had, a few days ago, planned an agitation on this issue. Vyas said details of the protest programme are still being finalised. She opined that Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha was wrong in saying that this would end up in controlling inflation in the long run. The Consumer Price Index is still rising and this is the main factor affecting the rate of inflation, she informed.

Vyassaid the government is now eyeing water, power, transport and education as potential subsidies and may also go in for price hike to further burden the people.

Meanwhile, Orissa PCC president Hemananda Biswal, who has been seeking State Chief Minister J B Patnaik's ouster for failing to act on the Anjana Mishra gang rape case, met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on today at 10, Janpath. Biswal, who arrived here on Monday, discussed Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons killing by a mob alleged to be Bajrang Dal supporters.

Biswal had sent a report on the issue to Sonia and held further discussions today. Apparently, he also gave a proposal to reserve 33 per cent posts in the PCC executive to women and also increase the PCC's strength to 25 from the current 21. Biswal met AICC general secretary in-charge of Orissa, Madhavrao Scindia, on Monday on the same issue.