CM for price hike, BJP cries foul
16 Sept 2012 5:11 AM IST
A day after United Progressive Alliance [UPA]-led government’s decision to hike in diesel price in the country, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday defended the decision saying ‘common man must learn to live with price rise’.
Dikshit said, ‘People should be prepared rather than crying foul over inflation. We are living in the 21st century. Price rise will happen, but it would also lead to hike in wages. They both are connected.’
The government on Thursday hiked diesel price by Rs 5.63 per litre and capped supply of subsidised LPG to six cylinders per household in a year. Diesel price has gone up to Rs 46.95 per litre from Rs 41.32 in Delhi. Citing example of Europe, Dikshit said, ‘During the 19th century, same inflation took place in Europe as well, which led to hike in wages there. As it is, today, the cheapest diesel is available in Delhi. If we can do something, we will do.’
Sources said the local Congress party workers were unhappy with the decision and are planning to request UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to rollback the hike.
Rejecting criticism of the price rise, Dikshit said people’s wages have also gone up significantly and they will have to learn to live with such hikes, which are determined by market forces.
On the Centre’s decision to restrict supply of subsidised cooking gas to six cylinders per household in a year, Dikshit said it was a necessary step.
‘It was necessary to make this decision. We have to stand by it. There is a need for balance. For any average family, six cylinders are enough,’ Dikshit said.
The Centre on Thursday decided that each household will get six cylinders of 14.2-kg per annum at the subsidised rate of Rs 399 and any requirement beyond that would have to be procured at the market rate of Rs 746 per cylinder.
Asked how the below povert line [BPL] families were supposed to manage at a time when the city government has even banned kerosene, Dikshit said people for whom the scheme was meant for will not require more than six cylinders in a year.
Making a strong pitch for immediate rollback of hike in diesel price, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] president Vijender Gupta, however, said BJP will stage a big demonstration at Jantar Mantar on 15 September, demanding withdrawal of the steep hike.
Reacting to Dikshit’s comments, Gupta asked, ‘Does living in 21st century means that the government remains busy looting people, while they have no right to live?’ Attacking the Delhi government’s kerosene-free capital scheme, Gupta said, ‘Government has abolished the quota of kerosene for the city. Now a common man will have to pay Rs 200 more for a cylinder of cooking gas every month. This way, the poor families will have to bear an additional burden of Rs 2,400 per year. Kerosene was the fuel of the poor people. A family consumed kerosene of Rs 150 in the whole month. How will that family arrange for Rs 6,000 for cooking gas in a year?’
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament from Lok Sabha, Mahabal Mishra, said, ‘The Centre took this decision without consulting us. The decision was purely their’s.’
Dikshit said, ‘People should be prepared rather than crying foul over inflation. We are living in the 21st century. Price rise will happen, but it would also lead to hike in wages. They both are connected.’
The government on Thursday hiked diesel price by Rs 5.63 per litre and capped supply of subsidised LPG to six cylinders per household in a year. Diesel price has gone up to Rs 46.95 per litre from Rs 41.32 in Delhi. Citing example of Europe, Dikshit said, ‘During the 19th century, same inflation took place in Europe as well, which led to hike in wages there. As it is, today, the cheapest diesel is available in Delhi. If we can do something, we will do.’
Sources said the local Congress party workers were unhappy with the decision and are planning to request UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to rollback the hike.
Rejecting criticism of the price rise, Dikshit said people’s wages have also gone up significantly and they will have to learn to live with such hikes, which are determined by market forces.
On the Centre’s decision to restrict supply of subsidised cooking gas to six cylinders per household in a year, Dikshit said it was a necessary step.
‘It was necessary to make this decision. We have to stand by it. There is a need for balance. For any average family, six cylinders are enough,’ Dikshit said.
The Centre on Thursday decided that each household will get six cylinders of 14.2-kg per annum at the subsidised rate of Rs 399 and any requirement beyond that would have to be procured at the market rate of Rs 746 per cylinder.
Asked how the below povert line [BPL] families were supposed to manage at a time when the city government has even banned kerosene, Dikshit said people for whom the scheme was meant for will not require more than six cylinders in a year.
Making a strong pitch for immediate rollback of hike in diesel price, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] president Vijender Gupta, however, said BJP will stage a big demonstration at Jantar Mantar on 15 September, demanding withdrawal of the steep hike.
Reacting to Dikshit’s comments, Gupta asked, ‘Does living in 21st century means that the government remains busy looting people, while they have no right to live?’ Attacking the Delhi government’s kerosene-free capital scheme, Gupta said, ‘Government has abolished the quota of kerosene for the city. Now a common man will have to pay Rs 200 more for a cylinder of cooking gas every month. This way, the poor families will have to bear an additional burden of Rs 2,400 per year. Kerosene was the fuel of the poor people. A family consumed kerosene of Rs 150 in the whole month. How will that family arrange for Rs 6,000 for cooking gas in a year?’
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament from Lok Sabha, Mahabal Mishra, said, ‘The Centre took this decision without consulting us. The decision was purely their’s.’
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