Chandy said the Centre should have avoided the hike while Opposition CPI(M)-led LDF and the BJP slammed the UPA Government and gave separate calls for a dawn-to-dusk hartal tomorrow demanding total rollback of the Rs 5.62 per litre price hike effected yesterday.
"If it is difficult to completely rollback the increase, the Centre should at least reduce the hike. However, the state government will forgo the additional tax revenue coming to its kitty on account of the current round of increase," Chandy told reporters in Kochi.
On earlier occasions also, the Chandy Government had given up the additional tax revenue on the increased prices of petrol and diesel.
The Left Democratic Front leaders said the hike amounted to a "declaration of war on people."
Youth outfits of CPI(M), CPI and BJP took out protest marches in various places immediately after the decision was announced.
Associations of bus and truck operators demanded a hike in fares holding that they would not able to maintain their operations at the current rates in the wake of the diesel price hike.
