Withdrawing LPG subsidy will hurt ordinary people: CPI

CPI State Secretary R Mutharasan said this move would increase burden of expenditure for people

Ending subsidy for cooking gas will severely hit ordinary and salaried-class people and it is necessary to unitedly fight against this "anti-people" move, the CPI said here on Tuesday.

Referring to the Centre's proposed move to end the subsidy for LPG, CPI State Secretary R Mutharasan said the Centre was 'doing away' with subsidies as it had accepted the 'anti-people conditions' of the World Trade Organisation.

In view of the move to increase the price of cooking gas every month, ordinary and salaried class people will be severely affected, he said, adding it would increase the burden of expenditure for them.

Hitting out at the Palaniswami-led AIADMK regime for not being able to halt the 'anti-people measures' of the Centre, the Left leader said all sections of people should unite and fight against it.

Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had yesterday told the Lok Sabha that the government has ordered state-run oil companies to raise subsidised cooking gas (LPG) prices by Rs four per cylinder every month to eliminate all the subsidies by March next year.