The Chandigarh unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) held a mass procession to protest against the rising prices of essential commodities. CPI members and union workers participated in the procession that started from the Nehru Park in Sector 22. The procession culminated at the office of the deputy commissioner in Sector 17 with a rally. "The steep hike in the prices of essential commodities like flour, pulses, rice, milk and kerosene has put them beyond the reach of the common man,' Bant Singh Brar, member of the national council of CPI said. Council secretary Devi Dayal Sharma alleged that the administration has shut all ration depots and fair price shops from where grocery products can be purchased at subsidised rates. The speakers urged the Central Government to take steps to curb inflation and re-open the fair price shops in the meanwhile. The protesters warned of an intensified struggle in case the government failed to take corrective measures in time. Among those who addressed the gathering were: Chandigarh AITUC President H S Gambhir, Punjab Istri Sabha General Secretary Mohinder Samber and Trade Union Council President Raghbir Singh Sandhu.