People's Democracy

Stop the Price Increase of Petrol and Diesel

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on February 16, 2013.

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly protests the hike in the price of petrol by Rs 1.50 per litre  and the monthly hike in the price of diesel by 45 paise.

Since the deregulation of petrol pricing, there is a constant and steep increase in the price of petrol. In the case of diesel, the price rise will be continuous on a monthly basis. The government is only adding to its tax revenues by such escalating prices of petroleum products and increasing the profits of the oil companies at the expense of the common people.

The CPI(M) demands the cancellation of the price hike and the restoration of the administered price mechanism. To protest against this added burden on the people, the Party calls upon all sections of the people to support and join the general strike called by the Central Trade Unions on February 20 and 21, 2013.

KISAN SABHA

PROTEST

In a separate statement issued from New Delhi on the same day, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) too unequivocally condemned the latest hike in petrol and diesel prices by Rs 1.50 and 45 paise per litre respectively.

The AIKS statement, issued by its general secretary, K Varadharajan, said the latest price hikes have come at a time when farmers and other working people are acutely suffering from incessant rises in the prices of food and other essential commodities. This price hike by oil marketing firms, at the instance of the government of India and on the false plea of bringing down the under-recoveries, would further increase the prices of all essential commodities and add to the misery and distress of the common people including the rural poor. It is, however, well known that the oil marketing firms are not actually running in loss.

The statement said, “It appears that the government of India is determined to pursue its anti-farmer, anti-people economic policies and allow the oil marketing firms to run berserk and continuously raise the prices of petroleum products which will adversely hit the life and livelihood of all sections of working people and the peasantry of our country.”

The AIKS has therefore demanded that the government of India must roll back the latest hikes in petrol and diesel prices and put a stop to the policy of allowing the oil companies to increase the prices of all petroleum products at their sweet will.

The AIKS has asked all its units throughout the country to protest against the latest price hikes though meetings and demonstrations.