Even as Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has asked the state marketing board to cut toll taxes to help check prices of essential commodities, his ally in the Left Front government — the Forward Bloc — has sought a rather ‘long term’ solution.

“We want all the four departments to work together to check price hike,” said a senior Bloc leader.

All the four departments related to the prices of essential commodities — Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing, Food and Supplies and Cooperative Development — are headed by Forward Bloc ministers.

While the Forward Bloc wants greater involvement of the four departments, they allege big brother CPM is trying to take centrestage on the issue.

“People are angry with us because we have failed to act. They have been badly affected by the increasing prices of vegetables, which the government can control,” said a Bloc leader.

Recently, Bloc leaders met CPM state secretary Biman Bose over the issue. CPM leaders, meanwhile, alleged that despite soaring prices, the Bloc-led departments are sitting silently on the issue.

“Finally, the chief minister has reacted and asked the state marketing board to slash toll taxes.

But they have not responded to the proposal,” said a CPM leader.