SILCHAR, May 24: The Grahak Suraksha Samiti (GSS) of Cachar has
slammed the UPA Government for hiking the petrol prices by nearly a Rs 8
per litre. “It is quite intriguing that the decision was taken by the
Government just after the Parliament session on budget was over”, said
Biplob Kumar Goswami, general secretary of the consumers’ body. It was
according to him a surreptitious method of avoiding Parliament to push
up the price and pass on the burden on common people, already reeling
under the heat of spiralling prices of sorts of commodities, both
essential and non essential. It is the steepest hike ever since the
Government of Dr Manmohan Singh came to power in 2002. Between March
2011 and May 24, petrol price has been increased by 6 times from Rs
62.50 to Rs 77.81 per litre. This is one of the records on price front
of the Government that cries for ‘aam aadmi’, he pointed out.
Goswami attributed the abnormal increase in petrol price to the gross fiscal mismanagement and erroneous economic policy which together have combined together to devalue the rupee against dollar and a shaken investment climate. He said afraid of facing the opposition in the Parliament, the Government took the decision unilaterally and arbitrarily. Even its allies in the coalition were not consulted and taken into confidence. The ground cited was the depreciation of rupee in the international market which has been disputed by all the well known economists of the country. In fact, as he pointed out increasing trade deficit and lack of reformist approach has messed up the situation, he stated.
The timing of hike was also unjustified with no elections round the corner excepting the Presidential election. The Government wanted to play . The hue and cry raised by the allies of UPA, according to him, was drama. Mamata Banerjee did raise her pitch, but it was all sound and fury. Goswami said, “It reflects on the failure of the Government to meet the crisis, enmeshed as it is in scams and scandals.”
It can neither control run away prices nor hold a check on massive leakages of development funds. The austerity measures being talked of by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee lose all sense and sensibility, as Goswami pointed out, by following the proverbial policy of running with the hare and hunting with the hound. By taking recourse to pushing up price, it is now trying to balance the deficits. It is an exercise to offset the subsidies on diesel and LPG, he maintained.
Goswami further brought out the paradox. When the prices of international crude have dropped in March last, the UPA Government has taken the unusual step. In the past, the Government passed the onus on international price to justify every hike. Oil companies have always put the pressure on the Government to increase prices.
He was of the opinion along with austerity measures as planned by the Finance Ministry, the Government should recover crores of rupees lost in colossus scams of 2 G Spectrum and CWG, besides bringing Back enormous amount black money stashed in foreign banks. The Samiti would launch a district level public agitation to pressure the Government for roll back. Other option Is that the Central excise duty of Rs 14.78 a litre and the states’ sales tax ranging from Rs 10.30 to Rs 18.74 a litre should be reduced or slashed.
The opposition political parties, BJP, AGP, CPM, CPI, AIUDF, SUCI, have come down heavily on the Government for its anti people policy. Kiriti Bhushan Purkayastha, Cachar district president of BJP, in a statement here said, the hike was unwarranted and a cruel joke with people. Dulal Mitra of CPM termed the hike as pandering to the interests of business houses and industrialists. While left parties are sharpening their arsenal for attacking the Government, other parties are planning to hit the streets. CPI(M), its leaders and supporters today staged protest demonstration against the hiking of petrol price and demanded the UPA government should scrap the hike.
source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=118560&dtP=2012-05-25&ppr=1#118560
Goswami attributed the abnormal increase in petrol price to the gross fiscal mismanagement and erroneous economic policy which together have combined together to devalue the rupee against dollar and a shaken investment climate. He said afraid of facing the opposition in the Parliament, the Government took the decision unilaterally and arbitrarily. Even its allies in the coalition were not consulted and taken into confidence. The ground cited was the depreciation of rupee in the international market which has been disputed by all the well known economists of the country. In fact, as he pointed out increasing trade deficit and lack of reformist approach has messed up the situation, he stated.
The timing of hike was also unjustified with no elections round the corner excepting the Presidential election. The Government wanted to play . The hue and cry raised by the allies of UPA, according to him, was drama. Mamata Banerjee did raise her pitch, but it was all sound and fury. Goswami said, “It reflects on the failure of the Government to meet the crisis, enmeshed as it is in scams and scandals.”
It can neither control run away prices nor hold a check on massive leakages of development funds. The austerity measures being talked of by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee lose all sense and sensibility, as Goswami pointed out, by following the proverbial policy of running with the hare and hunting with the hound. By taking recourse to pushing up price, it is now trying to balance the deficits. It is an exercise to offset the subsidies on diesel and LPG, he maintained.
Goswami further brought out the paradox. When the prices of international crude have dropped in March last, the UPA Government has taken the unusual step. In the past, the Government passed the onus on international price to justify every hike. Oil companies have always put the pressure on the Government to increase prices.
He was of the opinion along with austerity measures as planned by the Finance Ministry, the Government should recover crores of rupees lost in colossus scams of 2 G Spectrum and CWG, besides bringing Back enormous amount black money stashed in foreign banks. The Samiti would launch a district level public agitation to pressure the Government for roll back. Other option Is that the Central excise duty of Rs 14.78 a litre and the states’ sales tax ranging from Rs 10.30 to Rs 18.74 a litre should be reduced or slashed.
The opposition political parties, BJP, AGP, CPM, CPI, AIUDF, SUCI, have come down heavily on the Government for its anti people policy. Kiriti Bhushan Purkayastha, Cachar district president of BJP, in a statement here said, the hike was unwarranted and a cruel joke with people. Dulal Mitra of CPM termed the hike as pandering to the interests of business houses and industrialists. While left parties are sharpening their arsenal for attacking the Government, other parties are planning to hit the streets. CPI(M), its leaders and supporters today staged protest demonstration against the hiking of petrol price and demanded the UPA government should scrap the hike.
source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=118560&dtP=2012-05-25&ppr=1#118560
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