Price rise is not a 'new phenomenon' and the central and and state governments were making earnest efforts to check inflation, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said today.


In an apparent reaction to KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala's criticism against the Congress-led UDF government for not effectively intervening in the market to arrest price rise, Ravi said the policies of the government were not the reason behind increase in prices.

"Price rise is not a new phenomenon. The policies of the government is not responsible for it. The Centre and state are making earnest efforts to arrest price rise," he told reporters at Kozhikode.

KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala had yesterday written an open letter to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy asking the government to intervene effectively in the open market to check increasing prices.