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The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Sunday expressed the hope that the prices would come down very soon. Asked for his comments on the issue, Dr. Singh who is campaigning in Maharashtra for the Congress -NCP alliance, said: "The prices of some items were raised, and you all know the reason for that. I am expecting a good Rabi crop in the coming season. If we are able to get good crop in the Rabi season, the prices will naturally come down." Dr. Singh said that he was of the view that the Indian economy is making a slow but steady recovery, and added that measures taken to control the sharp rise in food prices are having an effect. Singh said he was confident that the harvest would be normal, despite the weakest monsoon since 1972 that has ravaged rice and sugarcane fields. "The worst is indeed over. The price rise has been due to the drought. Steps are being taken. I am confident the harvest will be normal," he said. Singh had said earlier that the Indian economy is likely to grow at 6.3 to 6.5 percent in the fiscal year to March 2010, or a seven-year low. Economic stimulus measures were likely to continue as Asia's third-largest economy was not operating at full capacity, Singh said.