The Centre on Thursday put the onus of bringing down prices of essential commodities on states maintaining that unless they took action against hoarders and blackmarketeers, it would be difficult to provide relief to the people.

“I have written to the Chief Ministers that if the state government machinery is not alert, it will be difficult to provide relief to the people. The states have to take action. It is the responsibility of state governments to take action,” Union Agriculture, Food & Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister Sharad Pawar said in reply to a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on price rise.

Quoting figures of raids, arrests and prosecution of hoarders and blackmarketeers in the states, he said only two persons were arrested in Bihar and none was prosecuted.

“States have reported they have detained hardly 156 persons to check prices (from January to October). I think they should take more action in this regard,” he said. Pawar said the price of onions had shot up because of drought in Maharashtra’s onion belt while West Bengal’s potato production was hit by a disease.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee exhorted people to “recognise” that there will be inflationary pressure in a growing economy and it was up to the government to moderate it.

“We have not increased the issue price of wheat, rice, kerosene and sugar. Who is to distribute it? It is primarily the responsibility of states. Cooperative federalism is not confined to sharing taxes, but also to sharing responsibilities collectively by the Union and the states. Physically, it is not possible to take over the public distribution system. Then India has to be a unitary state,” said the Finance Minister.