ESCALATING PETROL, DIESEL PRICES BURNING A HOLE IN THE COMMON MAN’S POCKET

Guwahati, October 1, 2018:

Narendra Modi led NDA government came to power in 2014 general elections promising “Acche Deen”. Exactly five years later, “KAHA GAYE ACCHE DEEN”?, is the question asked by the common man. The ever-escalating fuel prices has made the common man raise this question today.

Petrol, Diesel prices hit another record high on Monday as the upward trend in fuel prices continued. Petrol prices were increased by 39 paise per litre on Monday while Diesel prices were hiked by 45 paise in Guwahati. Petrol was retailing at Rs 86.37 per litre while diesel was sold at Rs 78.67 after today’s hike. Fuel prices have been witnessing a steep rise since the past few weeks.

Where the opposition has blamed the Union Government for not doing enough to keep a check on prices, the latter has maintained that global crude oil prices and other international factors are causing a hike in prices of petroleum products.

Speaking to InsideNe, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya said “daily prices of petrol and diesel is skyrocketing which has devastated the living condition of the common people. When UPA government was in power, prices were not unbearable though price of crude oil were much higher than at present. Due to more imposition of tax and the anti-people policy of adopted by the Modi-led NDA government, the common people has become the worst sufferer, said Mr Bhattacharya. He also added that the ruling government is incompetent and due to the lack of knowledge, they are surrendering saying that control of prices is not in their hand”.

On the other hand, state Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Pramod Swamy Sharma said though control over prices of petroleum products is not in the hand of the central government as it is related to the international crude oil prices, the state government can give a rebate in taxes of Rs 2-3 per litre as it has been done by the Rajasthan government”.

Meanwhile, people across Assam have expressed their anger over the escalating petrol and diesel price that is now burning a hole in the common man’s pocket.

It is worth mentioning that taxes on petrol and diesel is one of the highest in India. The central government has hiked excise duty on petrol many times when international crude oil prices were on a downward trend. However, the government did not reverse the excise duty hike when international crude oil prices again resumed an upward trend, resulting in the higher retailing price for petrol and diesel.

The mood of the a common man would be reflected after the results of the ensuing Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan assembly elections later this year and the 2019 general elections.