People's Democracy

 Halt Oil Price Hike, Left Tells PM

ON June 1, CPI(M) leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury met the prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to explore ways to halt the proposed hike in petrol and diesel prices. It was then understood that the prime minister might meet the finance minister P Chidambaram and petroleum minister Mani Shanker Aiyar the next day to finalise the scheme of things concerning fuel prices. The Left parties had already given an alternative to avoid any burden on the common man because of petro price hikes.

In their 30-minute meeting later in the day on June 1, the Left parties indicated that upstream firms like the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) should be roped in to bear a part of the hike of Rs 2.87 a litre in petrol prices and Rs 3.73 per litre in diesel prices. The proposed hikes are in line with the hike in excise duty and road cess while the crude oil has also become dearer.

The Left leaders emphasised that there must be as little burden on common man as possible. Later at a joint press conference, Left leaders said there could follow a countrywide agitation if nothing was done to ease the burden on the common man. (INN)