Serious concern was expressed over the rising prices of essential commodities at the Congress Working Committee meeting today where the issue dominated the discussions. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh said that efforts are being made to check the prices through increasing production, apart from the other steps that the government has taken to arrest the price rise.<br/><br/><br/>The Finance Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee expressed the hope that the situation with regard to spiraling prices will normalise soon. Briefing media about the deliberations, Mr. Janardhan Dwivedi said that , the members wanted the government to protect the interest of the common man, while presenting the budget as it had been done in the past.<br/><br/>On Maharashtra, the need for weakening the forces which are trying to divide the society was expressed. On Telangana issue, the Home Minister, Mr. Chidambaram informed the members about the setting up of a committee saying that its terms and reference will be spelt out soon. Organisational elections of the party as well as issues related to celebrations of the 125 years of the Congress party also came up for discussion.