The UPA government’s unprecedented decision at a politically sensitive juncture to hike diesel prices by a steep Rs 5 has “shocked” its ally Trinamool Congress, which alleged that it was “never consulted”.
TMC Cabinet minister Mukul Roy, who was not present at today’s Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs where the decision was taken, has hit out at the UPA for taking the decision without taking on board its ally. “We are very unhappy. We were never consulted on the hike in fuel prices. Diesel hike will hit the common people and impact food prices and prices of essential items,” Roy told Business Standard.
The Samajwadi Party has opposed the hike, so have the Left parties. The CPM has demanded an immediate rollback of the increase. The BJP hit out at the UPA for further causing distress to the common man.
Alongwith a hike in diesel prices, the CCPA has also decided to cap the number of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders to six per consumer a year.
The TMC has always opposed any attempt by the government to hike prices, stating that it was against the interests of the “aam aadmi”.
Explaining his absence from the CCPA, Roy said he had already informed the Prime Minister that he would be away from Delhi, as President Pranab Mukherjee would be visiting West Bengal, his first visit after assuming office. “I need to be here (Kolkata) as this will be the first civic reception for the new President.” Pranab Mukherjee is on a four-day visit to the state.
The TMC minister will not be present at tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting also, where FDI in civil aviation is scheduled to be taken up.
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This hike comes two days after the Core committee of the Congress party chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi indicated that it was not in favour of hiking fuel prices. Nevertheless senior Congress leaders said that the hike had become inevitable, a fact stressed by Petroleum minister Jaipal Reddy.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram had last week itself made clear that the Finance ministry could not bear the burgeoning subsidy bill and was in favour of hiking the prices of petrol, diesel , LPG and kerosene.
A senior Congress leader said, ”Kerosene the common man’s fuel has been left untouched. The hike in diesel was inevitable. As for the limiting of LPG cylinders to six per annum, this was a recommendation of the Standing Committee itself.”
Other leaders indicate that the dissent from allies and Opposition had obviously been factored in. The Congress party realising that it needed to ‘bite the bullet’ had grudgingly accepted the hike.
CPM ‘s Brinda Karat demanded immediate roll back while CPI National Secretary D Raja termed the decisions as "retrogade and anti-people".
Ananth Kumar, BJP general secretary said, that the BJP leadership condemns the steep increase in diesel prices. It will have cascading effect on price rise and it will affect the common man and farmers the most. The cap on domestic LPG cylinder is highly condemnable. The people are already suffering because of coal scam and various other scams and now the government has increased the prices of diesel. BJP will start an agitation against scams and price rise from September 17-24 all over the country.