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Fuel cost hiked 9 times since Mar 22: ' Why PM is still indifferent...'

Fuel cost hiked 9 times since Mar 22:  Why PM is still indifferent...
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kolkata: With prices of fuel increasing nine times in the past 10 days, including a rise in costs of about 800 essential medicines, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has intensified protests against the incessant jump in rates of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and medicines across the state demanding the Prime Minister's response over the issue.

Petrol price in Kolkata on Thursday stood at Rs 111.35 per litre (increased by 83 paise) and diesel at Rs 96.22 per litre (increased by 80 paise). Fuel prices were hiked on March 22 after a gap of 137 days, taking the total increase to Rs 6.40 per litre for petrol in the past 10 days. According to reports, it is the highest hike in any 10-day time period since the implementation of daily price revisions in June 2017. In the first four days, the prices increased by Rs 80 paise per litre for petrol. Thereafter, it was hiked by 50 paise, 30 paise, 80 paise, 80 paise, 83 paise in the subsequent days.

In the case of diesel, the total hike during this period was Rs 6.40 per litre. Like petrol, Rs 80 paise was the hike in diesel cost for the first four days. Subsequently, it was raised by Rs 55 paise, Rs 35 paise, Rs 70 paise, 80 paise and again 80 paise on the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth days respectively.

In such a scenario, various wings of TMC had been hitting the streets and demanding a response from the Prime Minister, who had been silent on the issue. The party claimed that the BJP-led Centre would not allow the common people to survive amid such inflation.

Earlier, Abhishek Banerjee, TMC national general-secretary, had tweeted: "Let's break it down for the big lecturers, the promise breakers, Jumlebaaz and the hate mongers… @BJP4India is showering thr care upon the people of India with BRAZEN REPEATED PRICE HIKES. In the name of good governance, all @PMOIndia has done is wreaked havoc in our lives."

The TMC had also alleged that the BJP was trying to divert people's attention from the issue and thus maligning Bengal's image by alleging deterioration of the law and order situation in the state. Reacting to the issue, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said: "It (fuel price hike) is a return gift of Narendra Modi to the people of Uttar Pradesh who voted for his party. They should have reduced the prices but instead, prices have gone up, adding to the inconvenience of common people…They have increased the prices of around 800 essential drugs. One has to spend extra money even to buy a basic tablet-like Crocin (paracetamol)," she added.

The price of non-subsidised LPG cylinders or cooking gas was also hiked by Rs 50, after a hiatus of 167 days. A 14.2 kg cylinder in Kolkata now costs Rs 976. Amid such developments, Yoga guru Ramdev—who had once vehemently protested against fuel price hikes when the Congress-led UPA government was in power at the Centre—was annoyed during an interview when he was asked to comment on the issue. According to reports, a miffed Ramdev advised people to work more and increase their income rather than complaining about the increasing prices. However, in 2014 Ramdev had once claimed that if the BJP government would come to power, then the prices of fuel would get reduced to Rs 40 per litre. In the global market, crude oil prices dived more than $5 a barrel on Thursday as the United States is considering the release of up to 180 million barrels from its strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) over several months to calm soaring crude prices, Reuters reported.

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