The All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has strongly condemned the latest increase in the price of petrol by Rs.5 a litre.
“The increase is unwarranted particularly because the international prices of oil have been shown a declining trend in recent weeks. This is indeed the post-election gift to the people from the UPA government,” a statement issued by AIDWA said here on Monday.
“For the common people who have been reeling under relentless price rise for several months now, this is an additional burden which will push many more families to the brink of poverty. It will have a cascading impact on the prices of all essential commodities, and that will particularly affect women and children. Milk prices had already risen by Rs.2 a litre and other commodities are sure to follow suit. The threat of increase in diesel and gas prices also looms large in the coming days,” the statement added.
“We strongly object to the totally irresponsible statement of the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the UPA government has nothing to do with this increase since it is for oil companies to decide on prices linked to international rates. It is simply a ploy for the government to look the other way because it is the Congress-led UPA that has brought in the policy of deregulation of petrol prices,” AIDWA said.
The organisation demanded that the petrol prices be rolled back immediately, and that all petroleum products be under the administered price mechanism. It added that the irrational taxation structure should be revised.
