The Left parties will organise State bandh on May 31 protesting against steep increase in the prices of petrol and power tariff.
The representatives of CPI (M), MCPI, CPI (ML-New Democracy), and CPI (ML-Liberation) on Tuesday appealed to the people to participate in the State bandh to register their protest against the steep hike in petrol price.
The hike has come as a blow to the common people who are already suffering due to uncontrollable rise in prices of essential commodities. The government was contemplating increasing the prices of diesel as well, they said. It would further fuel the increase in prices of essential commodities.
The increase of petrol price is Rs.6.28 per litre, excluding VAT/sales tax.
The hike touched Rs.8.31 in the city due to 33 per cent of tax being imposed by the State government, which is the highest in the country, they said.
The value of rupee had come down and the financial position of the country had reached a danger level.
In these circumstances, the government, instead of cushioning the impact, has been putting pressure on the people, the leaders said at the press conference. The price of petrol has been hiked for the record time, they said, adding, “We are against the petrol price hike by the UPA government.”
The hike in power tariff by the State government was like double whammy to the people as the hike was a burden of Rs.4,500 crore in the State.
The Congress government was on course to repeat what the TDP government experienced over the hike in electricity charges in Hyderabad in 2000.
The government would face dire consequences if it did not roll back the hike in power tariff, they opined. “For protesting against the injustice done to the people, the Left parties have given a call for a State bandh,” they said.
CPI(M) district secretary R. Raghu, city secretary Ch. Babu Rao, CPI city secretary D. Sankar, Lakshman Rao of CPI(ML), K. Rama Rao of CPI(ML-New Democracy), D. Nagamani of CPI (ML-Liberation), CPI(M) former district secretary Umamaheswara Rao, CPI city assistant secretaries P. Durga Bhavani, G. Koteswara Rao and others spoke. EOM
